The Fountain of Youth
by c.legler
Summary: PART 1 OF 4 SERIES: When an unexpected guest arrives at Lara's doorstep, and the priceless Chirugai she's held onto since Kurtis's disappearance is stolen, she is forced into a new adventure of old enemies, new allies, and stirred emotions. After Legend.
1. Startling Appearance

**Hello, everyone! Not my first fanfic, but my first one on this account. I hope you like it! I am already into Chapter 5, but I couldn't wait to post!! Please R&R asap, I'd love some feedback :)**

Also, I do not own any of Lara Croft, Kurtis Trent, yada yada...sole property of Eidos / Core / Crystal Dynamics...I only own the characters I designed in this story!!  


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_If I had one do-over,_ Lara thought. She wouldn't allow herself to finish the sentence. How could she? She wasn't one to grow faint at heart over men…not even over tall, dark, blue-eyed American men who could wield psychic powers and the strange disk-like weapon that she stared down at in her hands. How long had it been?

Oh, that's right. It had been one year. One year and eight months. So close enough to two years. Two years since the battle against Eckhardt, Karel, and the Cabal. Two years since she had been a convicted criminal. Two years since the most restless journey she had ever been on. Two years since she'd seen Kurtis.

_Oh, bloody hell,_ she cursed herself. _Forget about him. _She figured he was obviously dead, otherwise, he would've returned for his Chirugai. That damned weapon was more priceless to him than life itself. Why would he leave it behind? _Unless it's me he's avoiding,_ she thought. Why would he do that, though? The least he could do was show the courtesy of letting her know that he was still alive.

There were a number of reasons to believe that he was either dead or alive, but it didn't matter anymore. It had been two years. _Two years._ If she hadn't let it go yet, when would she ever? There were other things to worry about.

Lara sighed to herself as she placed the Chirugai back in its safe haven in the safe hidden behind the oil painting on the wall in her bedroom. She sealed it shut and turned away, pretending as though it hadn't happened – as though _what_ hadn't happened? As though _he _hadn't happened, or as though she hadn't reminisced over him for the past ten minutes?

Lara was never nostalgic. She was a number of things, but nostalgic wasn't one of them. She got the job done and moved on. It was the best way to shield the heart. If she couldn't do that, she would _never_ be able to get over any of the painful heartaches she had encountered over the ten or so years she'd been a tomb raider. It wasn't that she was heartless – she was just indifferent. At least, she tried to be.

Lara headed down the stairs of her manor, already able to hear U2 blasting from the tech room downstairs. She smiled to herself, rolling her eyes. _Ah, Zip,_ she thought. Then, she heard shouting from a familiar British accent. _Alister…_she added to her previous mental note. Her two trusted companions. They and Winston were the closest Lara had to any family. Lara descended the stairs to the ground floor, smiling again at the sight of Alister and Zip arguing. They were like to young brothers, fighting over toys.

"What seems to be the problem, boys?" Lara asked, grinning as she entered the room.

"This damned Yank won't turn his music down!" Alister complained. "And I've been trying to finish a report for the past two bleeding hours!"

"The library is upstairs and down two halls," Zip argued. "It can't possibly be that loud."

"Well, why don't you go up there and tell me just how loud it is," Alister continued, "while I proceed to blast Gustav Holst throughout the entire manor. Would you like that, now?"

Lara laughed. "The two of you," she said, shaking her head. "I just don't know what to do about you."

"Glad to see you're well this morning, Lara," Zip said, acknowledging her.

As Zip turned his attention away from the stereo, Alister unplugged the sound system. The music immediately died. "That's _much_ better," he sighed.

"I was listening to that," Zip muttered.

"Well, now you're not," Alister finished, dusting his hands off. "Oh, good morning, Lara!"

"Good morning to you, too, Alister," she said slowly. "A dull morning, I take it?"

"If you mean no armed mercenaries and paranormal artifacts to hunt for," Zip began, "then, yeah, it's a dull morning indeed."

"I can't believe the dry spell we've been on," Alister put in. "It's been three months since those interesting events in Bolivia and such."

Lara recalled her encounters with Amanda Evert, James Rutland, and that unknown thrall from years ago, in its black and evil form floating above the ground. She shuddered at the thoughts, but pushed all that to the back of her mind, thankful it was over with. "Yes, well, these things happen," she said. "It's not like there's a bulletin board posted somewhere of a list of legendary myths to prove."

"Unfortunately, you're right," Alister chipped in. "It would be nice."

"Well, until then," Lara began, strapping on her holsters, "I feel a good target practice is in order. Wouldn't want to lose my game while I'm off it."

"Absolutely," Alister added nonchalantly, head buried in a book. "I'll just go upstairs and…" His voice trailed off as he lost himself in his literature, only attentive to the stairs so as not to trip and fall.

Lara pulled her fingerless gloves over her hands, noting the sun coming up from the sky outside. She sighed relief to herself, glad to start the day in such a beautiful environment. _Perfect for target practice_, she thought to herself.

A light breeze flittered through the air as Lara took her familiar pistols at hand. She approached the brick wall on the side of the house, pressing the button to activate the sensory targets. She rolled her shoulders back, drew in a deep breath, and took a gunner's stance, carefully making her way through the obstacle course, keeping her guard up as if enemies were really afoot.

Lara fired a shot at the first target that triggered as she passed the tall bush on the side of the house. _Bang!_ A bullet went through the red center. _That one is for Eckhardt,_ she thought to herself. She proceeded forward, not as cautious as she knew she should be. Another target appeared from the trees above. _Bang! _Another red center. _That one's for Karel,_ she thought absent-mindedly. Another appeared from behind the brick wall that led to the quad track, moving along a track with quick speed. She spun around and shot out the red center. _And one for Boaz,_ she thought. At that thought, she fired off again, and again, and again. She glared at the target as though it really were Boaz, then proceeded to empty both magazines of the guns into the non-threatening target. _And that one and that one and that one and that one…_she thought.

The clips were empty, but she continued to pull back on the triggers. Wishful thinking would have allowed those bullets – even these imaginary ones – to enter the skull of Kristina Boaz and leave her for dead, so Kurtis wouldn't have had to be the one left for dead. Then, maybe he could be here with her.

_Stop it!_ her brain screamed. Realizing her stupidity, she stopped firing off the invisible bullets, lowering the empty guns to her side. She sighed, ignorant of the remaining six targets appearing within seconds. _Where the hell is my right mind?_ she asked herself. _It's totally wrong today._

Lara holstered her weapons, giving up already. _Screw this,_ she thought. She would have Winston replaced the damaged targets later. Right now, she needed to get away from this. She needed to take her mind off of everything.

A vacation! That might do her good. Lara wasn't one to take vacations, but staying here at home, bored, doing nothing but contemplating the past…well, it was driving her mad. She briskly entered the mansion, contemplating different possible locations she could travel to, old friends she could visit.

"Done so soon?" Zip asked, feet up on the desk and music blaring again. He reached over and turned down the sound system as Lara entered, seating herself on the edge of the desk.

"I feel like taking a vacation," Lara mused, trying to appear casual and not distracted.

"You don't take vacations," Zip reminded her, chuckling a bit. "What some might define as vacations is what you define as business."

"Oh, you're referring to my world-traveling expeditions for lost artifacts and legends of old?" she asked, grinning.

"No, I meant your bar-hopping on the weekends," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm not one for bitter or stout," she replied, bored.

"So where do you want to go?" he asked. "Wait, better question – _why_ do you want to go?"

Lara shrugged, still fighting to appear casual. "I'm bored here at home. Nothing to do."

"Are you sure?" Zip asked suspiciously. "You know, Lara…" he sighed.

It was Lara's turn to appear suspicious. "What are you thinking, Zip?"

He shrugged, then waved her away. "I don't know."

Lara would prod no further. "Alright, then." She stood up. "Book me a flight to Venezuela. Better yet, call up Jake and offer him three grand to fly me there. I'll find my own way back."

"Venezuela?" Zip asked suspiciously. "Random location, but okay."

"I have a friend there," Lara pointed out.

"Okay," Zip said, typing away at his computer. "I'll put in the call right now."

As Zip picked up the phone, the doorbell rang. Lara glanced back as Winston proceeded to open it. She turned her attention back to Zip, who looked up at her with the phone in his hand. "He's not answering," Zip said.

"Lady Croft!" Winston called from the hallway. His voice was edged with panic.

Lara stood up, glancing back at him suspiciously. He was bending over what appeared to be a human body…what was going on? Lara quickly headed towards the scene, and gasped upon seeing the young girl, bloodied and semi-conscious. Lara kneeled down, propping her up as her eyes fought to stay open.

"Can you hear me?" she asked slowly.

The girl groaned, obviously in pain, trying to look up at Lara. Blood poured out of several open wounds over her body, and she reached up towards Lara's face, stroking her cheek, and leaving smears of blood on it. Her hand trembled severely, and blood began to pool in her mouth, as though she were internally bleeding. "Winston, get the first aid kit immediately!" Lara commanded. Zip and Alister had also joined to see what was happening.

"Shall I call a medic?" Alister asked quickly. Lara was prepared to respond affirmatively until the girl's eyes sealed shut and she felt limp into Lara's grasp.

"Oh, no," she breathed, barely audible.

Zip, Alister, and Lara remained still as stone, afraid that this young girl of no more than sixteen years old had just died in Lara's arms. Suddenly, however, the wounds on her body began to heal rapidly. The cuts sealed up, and the bruises faded away. She appeared as though she had never been hurt in the first place.

Lara looked up at her comrades strangely, both intrigued and horrified by what had just happened to the child. She continued to remain still in her arms, apparently unconscious.

"What the hell just happened?" Zip asked carefully. Lara stared down at the pretty young girl with striking features of her own. Brown hair, peach skin, plump lips…she was quite a beautiful young girl. Lara brushed the tendrils of hair out of her face. Then, with lightning speed, the girl awakened, gripped Lara's hand with overbearing strength, and stared blankly into the ceiling. Lara watched her carefully, aware of the tight grip the girl had on her wrist. Then, the girl turned her absent attention to Lara's eyes. She spoke only one word.

"Exuma."

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**And Chapter 1 is finshed!! I know it's short, but it's just the intro...stay tuned, because the next chapter explains a lot! And it's quite interesting... :) Please R&R!!**


	2. Andrea

**Hello, all! Back already :) Here is chapter two...introducing my own character, a young little fireball named Andrea...get to know her! You might like her! :) R&R please!**  
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"Let me go!" Andrea screamed. "I don't want to do this! Let me go! You can't make me!" The fifteen-year-old brunette thrashed and fought to break away from the grips of her captors, but nothing happened, despite her effort. Tears streamed down her face. "I don't want to do this!"_

"_You agreed to this, kid," the male voice said. "You made your bed, it's time to lie in it."_

"_I didn't know this is what you meant! You promised nothing bad would happen!"_

"_And nothing bad will happen!" the man said. "Well, I don't think…"_

_The two men holding onto Andrea's arms forced her down on her knees, staring down at the water before her. The color was crystal, clear, and absolutely perfect. It looked like the kind of water you would want to swim in. But Andrea knew better – swimming in this? After what that guy had told her? What was his name, again? She couldn't even remember in a time like this._

"_You're sick, Andy," the man said. "This will make you better."_

"_Don't call me Andy!" she hissed. "We're not friends, we're not family, we're not anything! You're an arrogant son of a –"_

"_Such a mouth for a kid," the man chuckled, hardly threatened by her words._

"_You don't care about me being sick, anyway!" she protested. "You're just doing this for your own twisted pleasure!"_

"_Pleasure? Hardly!" he disagreed. "If this works for you, it will work for me, and the rest of humanity."_

"_So I'm a test subject, then?" she asked angrily._

"_It's not my fault you trusted me," he said, shrugging. "Like I said, you made your bed –"_

"_Now lay in it," she finished. "I know."_

"_Knowing that, this shouldn't be so hard," he said._

_Andrea choked on a sob. "I trusted you…"_

_The man sighed, leaning down next to her so he could look her in the eye. "You trust people, and it will ruin you."_

_She glared at him. "You promised you'd take care of me."_

"_Andrea," he sighed, standing. "I promised I'd make you better. That's what I'm doing. I'm finishing your father's promise to you."_

"_Don't talk about him," she hissed icily._

_He scowled at her. "So be it," he said. "Dunk her," he ordered to the men._

_The men holding onto Andrea's arms gripped her tightly. "No!" she continued to scream. But they forced her to her feet and shoved her forward into the water, arms flailing as she fell in. _

Lara entered the tech room for the fifth time in the past hour. "Do you have anything yet?" she asked Zip.

"Nothing yet," he said. "Sorry, Lara."

"Alister?" she asked her comrade, seated in the chair in the corner with books surrounding him.

"No, Lara," he said. "I'm working on it though. Are you sure we're looking in the right place?"

"Of course I'm certain," Lara retorted. "I know what Exuma is."

Yeah, yeah," Zip sighed. "An island in the Bahamas. We've already got that. I can't find anything outside of tourist information and hotels to book for vacation. You _did_ say you wanted to go on vacation…?"

"Now's not the time for sarcasm, Zip," Lara snapped. "Just keep looking."

"We don't know _what_ we're looking for, though," Alister pointed out. "Some half-conscious girl stumbles into the doorway, bloodied and wounded, shouts one final word before fainting, and we're supposed to rely on it like it's some key of destiny?"

"You're claim would be justified," Lara agreed, sarcasm tinged in her voice, "if it weren't for the rapid healing she experienced moments later."

"Or she's just insane," Zip shrugged.

"Enough," Lara said, growing angry. She sighed, replacing the book she had been looking through back on the pile of other leather-bounds Alister had gathered. "I'm going to go check on her." Lara headed up the stairs for the room where the mysterious girl lay sleeping. Winston had situated her just down the hall from Lara's room for precaution, should this girl need to stay overnight – which it seemed would be likely.

She rapped gently at the door, just in case the girl was awake. After waiting a few moments and gaining no response, she pushed the door open lightly. The room was dim, as the shades were pulled shut, and the girl was asleep on the bed, lying on her back, facing the ceiling. Lara quietly approached her bedside, staring down at her. Her face was knit into confusion, as if she were fighting some inner battle within the realm of dreams and the subconscious. _Sounds similar to me,_ Lara thought nonchalantly, recalling all the dreams she'd had about past "excursions", enemies, and of course, Kurtis.

Who was this girl, and where had she come from? Why did she mention the island of Exuma in her last breath before passing out? And what, above all, had exactly happened to her in that quit moment where her entire body healed? It were as though she had never been harmed at all. The look on her face, however, betrayed such an idea – this young girl was deeply troubled.

As if she knew she was being watched, the girl stirred. Her face knit even deeper into confusion, and she groaned as she awakened. She blinked her eyes several times before looking up at the ceiling. Lara wondered for a moment if she was even aware that she wasn't alone. The girl put a hand up to her head. "Where am I?" she muttered.

Lara figured now was the time to make her presence known. "Hello," she greeted her calmly.

The girl startled, apparently unaware that Lara was in the room. Once she saw her face, though, she calmed. "Hi," she returned in an American accent. "Sorry, you scared me."

"It's quite alright," Lara assured her.

The girl sat up in the bed, apparently dizzy as she did so. She steadied herself, then looked around the room. "Where…am I?"

"You're in my home," Lara told her.

"How'd I get here?"

"You stumbled across my doorway and fainted," Lara pointed out, not mentioning the strange healing process the girl underwent. The girl looked confused, as though Lara were speaking in a foreign language. "Do you have a name?" Lara asked casually.

"Yeah, it's Andrea," she mentioned. "And yours?"

"I'm Lara. Lara Croft."

Andrea looked to the ground strangely, as if she were recalling information. Then, she looked back up at the British woman. "Lara Croft, you said?"

"Yes…" she replied slowly.

"I feel like I've heard that name before…"

Lara chuckled lightly. "Quite a few have," she said, without trying to sound narcissistic.

"I don't know why…" the girl continued as though she'd never heard her.

Lara eyed her suspiciously for a moment. "Andrea, where are you from?"

Andrea looked about the room again, the ever-present gaze of confusion in her eyes. Then, she turned to Lara. "I…don't know."

"Do you remember where you were before you came here?"

She strained herself to recollect the preceding events. "No…"

"What about your parents?"

"My father is dead, and my mother, too," she said quickly. She looked up at Lara quickly, as if she expected an answer from her. "How did I know _that?_" she asked, more to herself than Lara. "I can't remember anything else…"

Lara folded her arms over her chest. Clearly, this was a strange case – not that the strange healing process would have said anything otherwise. "Do you feel like you can walk?"

Andrea slid her feet to the floor, then realizing her torn clothing with blood stains on them. She gasped, looking to Lara for help. "What happened?" she asked fearfully.

"I'll explain downstairs," Lara assured her calmly. "Come with me."

Andrea tentatively followed Lara down the stairs, glimpsing the blood staining the sheets of the bed she had slept in. _Wow!_ Andrea thought upon seeing the entryway of the manor. _This place is humungous._ "Nice house," she commented. "Is this, like, a castle?"

"Hardly," Lara commented. "It's a manor."

"Where are we?" she asked slowly.

Lara glanced to her as they reached the ground floor. "London."

"London?!" she exclaimed. "As in London, England?"

"Yes, that London," Lara said, both amused and confused. She gestured for the girl to enter the tech room where her companions sat, still executing their research. It was entertaining how naïvely sweet this girl seemed to be, but also frightfully strange. The girl was shocked to find herself in London, indicating that she had no recollection of ever arriving there in the first place. Had someone tried to kill her? Had she just been harmed at the hand of her own stupidity? And why couldn't she remember anything, except of course her parents?

"Finally awake?" Zip asked Andrea with a half-grin.

"Uh, yeah," she commented nervously.

"This is Zip," Lara introduced him. "And in the corner underneath the books is Alister. They're my two best friends who help me with…my work."

"Nice to meet you," she said shyly.

"A pleasure," Alister replied, standing. "How are you feeling?"

Andrea shrugged. "Not sure…I would just like to know what's going on."

"That makes four of us," Zip said, kicking his feet up on the desk.

As Winston entered the room, Lara requested that he bring all of them tea. Then, she faced Andrea, folding her arms over her chest. "Andrea, tell us about yourself."

Andrea glanced around at the faces nervously. "Like what?"

"Anything you can think of," Lara said, trying to ease her into conversation about herself.

"Okay," Andrea said slowly. _My name is Andrea…_and that was as far as she could get. _Who_ was she? She couldn't even remember. _How old am I…?_ she thought slowly. "I'm fifteen years old," she said hesitantly, as though she weren't even sure. She closed her eyes, trying to remember things. A flash of light, and red liquid on the floor. Her parents' dead bodies amidst the blood. "My parents died," she added. A man, with brown hair and tinted shades. "There was some man…" Men with guns all around, keeping a close eye on her, and forcing her into a some pond. "Strange waters…"

"Stop," Lara interrupted her. "What do you mean, 'strange waters'?"

Andrea opened her eyes. "What?"

"You said 'strange waters'," Lara repeated, growing frustrated. "What are you talking about?"

Andrea looked from Zip, to Alister, to Winston with the tea, to Lara. Then, she closed her eyes again, trying to focus on these "strange waters" she'd apparently mentioned moments ago.

_Water blurred her vision. Her arms flailed as she fought desperately to stay afloat. The skin on her body began to burn. Yet, strangely, she felt better. The man stood over her, watching her carefully. He shouted a command, and the men with the guns pulled her out of the water. She lay on her back, trembling. She was dying. "Leave her," the man ordered. "It's not what we thought it was."_

Andrea opened her eyes. "There was some weird pond," she began. "The man threw me in…"

"What man?" Lara asked.

"I don't remember…" she said slowly, shaking her head as though it would bring his face back. Then, she closed her eyes again. _A hospital room. Wires hooked up through her veins and to her head. A strange monitor in the corner. Her father and mother at the foot of the bed, crying. Her skin white as snow. Her chest heaving in pain. She was dying._ "I was sick!" she shouted. "When I fell in the water, I thought I was dying…I thought it was some kind of acid – it burned like fire to the skin." She closed her eyes as tears came slowly. "The man left me behind…" she said, hurt.

Lara glanced back at Alister, who shrugged. He was just as lost as she on this one. Then, she faced Andrea again, who quickly brushed away a tear. "Andrea," she began. "When we found you, you were covered in blood, wounded, as though you were going to die. Then, your body healed almost immediately. Do you remember any of that?"

Andrea thought for a moment, then shook her head negatively. "No…"

Lara sighed inside, wishing this girl could be more productive to her. "The last word – well, the only word – that you spoke before you passed out was 'Exuma'. Do you know why?"

Andrea looked puzzled. "What is that?"

Lara was growing really frustrated. Sure, this girl must've had amnesia or something, hence she should be more understanding, but Lara was naturally an impatient person. She drew in a breath, turning to Alister so he could explain before she snapped.

"Right," he said catching onto her. He picked up a book he'd been reading and fingered through the pages for a particular one. "Exuma is a district within the Bahamas, and it contains over three hundred and fifty islands, or cays, as the natives call it. It was settled around 1783, by the Americans who had fled the Revolutionary War. If you ask me, such research – "

Lara cleared her through to stop Alister's rambling, which often happened when he disagreed with a subject matter in "history". He looked to Lara and chuckled nervously, slightly embarrassed, but closed the book. They turned their attention back to Andrea. She stared down at the floor for a moment, thinking…then, it hit her. "Exuma!" she exclaimed. "The healing waters!"

"The _what_?" Alister asked.

"Now I remember…"

Lara turned to Alister and Zip. "Boys, see what you can find within a search of 'healing waters' and 'Exuma'."

"Perhaps…the Fountain of Youth?" Alister pondered, not bothering to reach for a book.

"The Fountain of Youth?" Zip chipped in. "In Florida? I thought we were talking about the Bahamas…?"

"Yes…" Lara said slowly. "It makes sense now."

"What does?" Andrea asked.

"Native stories about healing waters exist as early as time itself," Lara began. "Most believe that it started with Juan Ponce de León, the Spanish explorer who settled the state of Florida in 1513, but if you dig deeper into the research, you'll find that stories of curatives are found throughout history –"

"_And_ throughout many different legends," Alister chipped in.

"That's right," Lara agreed. "But de León never actually located such a spring. He died before he could come remotely close."

"This is all just myth, Lara," Alister reminded her.

"Half of what we do is disproving myths, Alister," she retorted. "The myth is that it is located in Florida. What most don't know, however, is that the Arawaks developed the stories of the healing springs long before de León came to fame with such a conquest. The Arawaks related the Fountain to their mythical land of Bimini, which would be compared to the paradise or Heaven that most believe in today."

"If I recall correctly," Alister interrupted, "the literal translation of the name of such a place wasn't related to the Bahamas, but related to the Gulf of Honduras, and I doubt the natives were lying about that."

"Perhaps not," Lara agreed. "But if Andrea says it, I believe it."

"With all due respect here," Alister begged, "she could hardly remember her name. Her memory isn't exactly reliable."

"Sometimes the mind does things we can't understand," Lara argued. "I believe the instance where she shouted the name of Exuma was a perfect example of such a claim."

Alister sighed. "If you say so, I'll go with it, then."

"Wonderful," Lara said briskly.

"But, Lara," he continued, "according to legend, the Fountain was never truly located, so how do we know that this isn't just some big joke? How do we know this 'Fountain' isn't more than just a beautiful pond in a coincidental location?"

"That's what we're going to find out," she grinned. "Zip, try getting a hold of Jake again for me. Tell him we need a flight to the Bahamas immediately."

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**Hm...this Fountain of Youth could be quite interesting, no? Will update soon (probably tomorrow, I'm so anxious, haha!) Hope you like! Criticism and likings are taken hand and hand, so don't be afraid to be harsh! :)**


	3. Midnight Tremors

**I told you I'd be back right away!! =D Here is Chapter 3, explaining more about Andrea, and finally a real action scene boils up...**

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At ten o'clock that evening, Lara sat in the tech room with Zip and Alister, her feet propped on the desk and a cup of tea at hand. Winston entered the room. "If no more attention is required, I'll retire to bed for the evening," he said to Lara.

Lara nodded. "That's quite alright, Winston. Sleep well."

Alister sighed as closed his book, picking up a cup of tea from the silver tray. "So the girl is sleeping, then?"

"Yes," Lara said, "_Andrea_ is sleeping."

"What are we going to do with her?" Zip asked, headphones resting around his neck. "Adopt her and raise her like our own child?"

"Don't be silly," Lara chided him. "We need to look after her for awhile."

"I'm not too fond of children," Alister muttered.

"Neither am I," Lara reminded him, "but she plays a key role in finding the Fountain."

"_If _it exists," Alister said, barely audible.

"If you still have doubt, recall the event where her body healed in ninety seconds," Lara said. "Case closed."

"I'm sorry, Lara," Alister sighed, "this is all just a bit odd to me."

"As it is to the rest of us," she added. "But whatever is going on with her, we need to figure it out."

"Ah," Alister rolled his eyes. "Another heroic adventure to take place. Bloody fantastic."

"Cheer up," Lara said. "It'll give you a chance to brush up on your history."

"How exciting," Alister mumbled.

Zip swiveled a bit in his chair, facing Lara. "Jake said he'd pick you up at ten in the morning tomorrow. It'll be a long flight from here to the Bahamas."

"Nothing I haven't experienced before," Lara reminded him. She glanced over at Zip as he typed on his keyboard. When he caught her gaze, he frowned. "What is it?"

"How much of Andrea's tale do you think is true?"

Zip shrugged. "Well…all of it! I just want to know what brought her here…or who, and how."

"I was thinking the same thing," Lara said slowly. "Fate always seems to land on our doorstep."

"And what Alister said about Exuma…" he continued. "History claims the Fountain was located in the Gulf of Honduras, Andrea claims it's in Exuma. Which side is true? We have history giving logical fact of its location, and Andrea's weird healings giving visual fact. It's like both sides are true."

Lara put a finger to her head, thinking. "Perhaps they both are," she said thoughtfully. "We'll just have to find out tomorrow."

Suddenly, they heard a loud thud coming from upstairs. Lara jerked her head in its direction – it was coming from the hallway between hers and Andrea's room. "I'm going to go check on her," Lara said. "Stay here." She quietly made her way up the stairs, only to realize that the noise was coming from _her_ bedroom, and not Andrea's. _I thought I told Winston he could go to bed…?_ she thought suspiciously. _Even so, why would he be tidying my room at this hour?_

On that thought, Lara reached for the trigger behind the vase on the table, unlocking the safe compartment behind the painting above it. She reached in and took hold of the 9-millimeter pistol hidden away, and stalked carefully towards her room. _A rather stupid intruder, _she thought, _or perhaps not an intruder at all…?_ She took her steps lightly as she reached the bedroom, where the door was cracked open a fraction of the way. From her position, and the lack of light, she couldn't see who – or what – was nosing about her bedroom, least of all what it was doing. She aimed her weapon at the figure. "Stop what you're doing," she commanded assertively. She took a step forward into her room as the intruder stood still, apparently facing away from her.

"Whatever you have in your hand," she said, noting the object, "put it down." Suddenly, with lightning speed, the figure turned around and threw the object in her direction. An orange glow fizzed as it followed the circular-shaped object heading directly for Lara's throat. _The Chirugai…?_ she thought, confused. _Could it be…?_ No, it couldn't be Kurtis – why would he throw it at _her_? Before she had time to fully register the event, she ducked out of the way, narrowly missing the attempt on her life. She fired at the figure, which moved about too quickly to be harmed. She was amazed at its agility, but frightened all the same. She continued to fire as it leapt about her room, knocking objects off of shelves and walls. It stretched out an arm and shot a burst of energy towards her, knocking her flat on her back.

Lara knew she needed to get up before that thing came back and finished her off. Strangely enough, she wasn't attacked. She looked around, sitting up quickly, and reaching for her gun that had been thrown from her hand a few feet away. The figure had disappeared around the corner, near her bathroom and closet. She stalked towards it, keeping the gun low. Then, she rounded the corner to see…Andrea?

Lara was immediately puzzled at the sight of the unconscious girl on her floor. Was this a trick? She glanced around some more, wondering if that strange figure really _had_ been Andrea, and not something else. She knelt down, feeling for a pulse. Then, she let out a breath, shaking the girl by her shoulders. "Andrea, wake up," she commanded.

The girl's eyes flittered open, and she stared up into Lara's own brown eyes. "What's going on?" she asked.

"You tell me," Lara said, both confused over the event and angry that she had been rifling through her room.

Andrea sat up slowly. "Was I sleepwalking?"

"You were doing something," Lara explained. "How did you end up in here, in my bedroom?"

"Is that where I am?" This girl acted so naïve at times, Lara had to wonder if it was some type of manipulative game she was playing.

"Yes," Lara confirmed. "You were rummaging through my room. Were you trying to steal something?"  
Her eyes grew wide. "Steal? Never!"

"Then what were you doing in my _locked_ safe?"

Lara could see that Andrea was becoming afraid – whether it be from the criminal act she had committed or from the fact that she truly didn't know what was going on. Her eyes began to tear up, and she looked away from Lara. Lara sighed, helping her to her feet. "Come on," she said. "Let's go downstairs. I'll meet you in the tech room in a few."

Andrea wearily trudged down the stairs, but Lara was determined to find the Chirugai. How had Andrea managed to use it? Only a Lux Veritatis could use such a powerful weapon – or, perhaps, only someone with psychic capabilities. Did that mean that Andrea was psychic herself, or – a Lux Veritatis? Lara searched around the upper floor until she found the Chirugai lodged into a pillar. She gripped it to pull it out, tugging hard, but to much avail, nothing happened. She gripped it even harder, until she stumbled backwards, cutting herself on the blade. The blades immediately retracted, making the object appear as nothing more than a Frisbee. Lara rubbed at her cut finger for a moment, then retrieved the Chirugai. She headed to the tech room, the weapon at hand. Andrea was seated quietly in the corner. Zip looked up at her – _another day in paradise?_ the look on his face read. Lara nodded. She set the Chirugai on the table.

"Why do you have a gun?" Andrea asked quietly. Lara looked down at her holstered weapon. Then, she sighed, looking to Andrea. "What exactly do you do?" Andrea asked.

"I have this gun for protection," Lara began, "among many, many other weapons."

"Protection against what?" Andrea asked.

"Against the enemies I've acquired over the years."

"What are you, a hit-man?"

Lara laughed. "Hardly. I'm an archaeologist."

"Archaeologists don't carry guns," Andrea said flatly.

"This one does," Lara countered. "The artifacts and legends I uncover threaten my life. I need to be well-protected."

Andrea looked down at the floor. "Did you shoot me with it?" she asked quietly.

Lara looked to Zip, who looked away quickly. _You're on your own with this one,_ he would've said. Lara sighed. "I had to," she said. "You attacked me."

"But it doesn't matter anyway," Andrea murmured. "I can't die."

"I thought it was a fountain of _youth_, not immortality," Alister commented absent-mindedly.

Zip looked back up at Lara, who sighed again. "Andrea, we need to talk. Pull up a seat."

Lara seated herself at the table, and Andrea reluctantly pulled a seat up across from her. Zip and Alister, for the sake of being in the room, pulled up next to Lara as well.

"First off," Lara began, "how did you end up here at my home?"

"I told you," Andrea said, frustrated, "I don't remember anything."

"And you don't remember going into my room this evening?"

"No…"

"You broke into my locked safe, and you took this…" Lara set the Chirugai out in front of her. "Do you know why?"

"I told you, I don't…!" she was growing frustrated, but cut herself off, gazing past Lara thoughtfully. Then, she met her eyes. "Steal the Chirugai," she whispered.

"What?" Lara asked. "What did you say?"

"The man…" Andrea said distantly, "the man that took me to the Fountain…after he found out that the water didn't work the way he wanted it to, he left me there. Then, a week or so later, he found me again, and he told me to steal the Chirugai…" _A smack to the face sent her unconscious._ "Then, I think he knocked me out."

"That means it's someone who knows you, or knows of you," Alister chipped in. "Unless this Chirugai thing is a mass-marketed item."

"That's quite interesting," Lara said, pondering the idea. Lara turned back to Andrea. "Did the man kidnap you?" Lara asked.

Andrea scoffed. "You can't kidnap a homeless kid."

Lara felt sorry for asking, but knew the logic in her claim was a bit off. "How do you remember him saying that?"

"I don't know," Andrea said, growing irritated with her own inability to recollect memories. "Some things come to mind, others don't…" She looked up at Lara abruptly. "When I dream, I see it, clear as day. I can see it all."

Lara glanced at Zip and Alister, who were just as puzzled as she was. Andrea stared down at the Chirugai. "Andrea, do you –" Lara began.

Then, Andrea reached a hand out a foot away from the Chirugai. Her fingers twitched, and the object came to life, floating a few feet above the table, the familiar orange glow lighting the room. The blades ejected, and the weapon hovered in its place, not wavering even the slightest bit. Lara was amazed at the sight.

"That's remarkable!" Alister breathed. "Lara, I've never seen this thing before in my life! When did you find it? And where?"

Lara ignored his question, keeping focus on the girl's marvelous abilities. Andrea merely stared at the object, as though it had happened time and time again. Then, she withdrew her fingers, the Chirugai's bladed retracted, and the entire weapon dropped to the table with a crash. She sighed, leaning forward onto her crossed arms over the table.

"Andrea, what was that?" Lara asked.

Andrea shrugged. "It just seemed right," she said.

Lara eyed her suspiciously. "Did you…dream it?"

Andrea sat up, keeping eye contact with Lara. "No. Why?"

"Perhaps you did," she said, "and you don't remember, or it was too far in the subconscious to recollect. All the memories and information you retain are coming from somewhere, as though it's perfectly normal to you – as though your body can consciously act it out, but your mind cannot consciously recall it as ever happening."

"Ah, understandable," Alister chipped in. "Like a person who has retrograde amnesia – he can't remember ever playing the piano, but somewhere deep within his brain, the motor skills and memory are ever-present. Present enough for him to play a song just as beautifully as before."

"I don't think we're dealing with retrograde amnesia, though," Zip said. "Something more."

"The girl exhibits psychic capabilities," Alister commented. "It's utterly fascinating." He reached for the Chirugai, cautious as he picked it up. "W-What exactly is this thing?"

Lara sighed, knowing she would have to explain. "When I was being hunted by the police for the Monstrum killings, I crossed paths with a Lux Veritatis warrior."

"_The_ Lux Veritatis warrior?" Alister asked, shocked. "You mean, the last living one?"

"Yes," Lara said irritably. "That one. This was his weapon. He bore psychic capabilities as well. Perhaps that's all it takes to control the damned thing."

Alister fiddled with the weapon for a bit, tossing it in the air, using his mind to try to extract the blades from their hiding places. When nothing happened, he groaned, banging it on the edge of the table. "This bloody thing is useless to us," he groaned. "Let her use it."

"That's enough," Lara said, angry at the thought of anyone using the weapon but Kurtis.

"Put your fingers in the knotholes," Andrea instructed.

"Do _what_?" Alister asked, looking to her as though she were insane.

"Just try it!"

Alister sighed, slipping his fingers into the appropriate nudges. "Now what?" he asked. Andrea reached forward, her fingers twitching to activate the weapon. The blades ejected rapidly, and Alister let out a startled gasp as he fought to control the weapon. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" he shouted, pulling away from it in fear, yet trying to hold on at the same time. Finally, he released his grip, withdrew his fingers, and stepped away, the weapon floating in the air. She used her telekinesis to bring the weapon towards her, putting her fingers into the knotholes and gripping it, controlling it with ease. "Wow…" she breathed.

"That's enough," Lara said for the second time. "Stop it. Put it down." Andrea, who either didn't hear Lara or ignored her completely, continued to stare in amazement at the weapon. "I said, drop it!" Lara ordered, barely below a shout. Andrea gasped, the blades retracted, the object falling to the table. She quickly gripped her hand in pain.

"Lara, are you alright?" Zip asked cautiously.

Andrea groaned in pain. "What's the matter?" Alister asked.

"It cut me," she said.

"That's what you get for not doing as I said," Lara said, shaking her head. "You'll heal in no time." She reached for the weapon and pocketed it, jealousy overcoming her with the wish that no one ever touch the priceless artifact again – no one but her and Kurtis.

"It's not healing," Andrea said, panicking. "It should already be gone by now!"

Lara sighed, feeling the child was being overdramatic. She took her wrist to observe the cut, but saw the orange energy waves flowing through the slit just above Andrea's wrist. _What in the hell…?_ she thought. She reached for the medical kit tucked away in the corner, wrapping Andrea's hand quickly. "Give it until morning," she said, not mentioning the orange bolts of energy she'd seen in the cut. "It should be fine by then."

"Okay," she said, trying to suppress her fear.

Suddenly, a frantic beeping went off from a nearby computer. Zip rolled his chair over to it quickly, typing away furiously. "We've got company, guys," he said quickly.

"Oh, bugger," Alister moaned. "One thing after another.

"Alister, take Andrea to the basement crypt," she instructed. She unhooked the Chirugai from her belt reluctantly. "Take this, too. Guard it with your life." She tossed the Chirugai to Alister, who caught it, nearly dropping it with fear. He ushered Andrea towards the hall, heading for the secret place in the manor where they wouldn't be found.

"Zip, I'm going to need your help," Lara said, removing a hidden pair of Uzis from another safe in the wall.

"Figured you'd say that," he said, grinning. "I'm putting the place on lockdown. Fence guards and electric volts are firing up as we speak."

"That won't be enough," she said.

"They're coming in from the front and the back," he said, observing the security feeds through his computer. "Lots of big guns."

"No matter," she said, loading clips into her guns. "I can handle that." She removed one final weapon from the safe – an M16 assault rifle. She set it across Zip's desk. "Think you can handle this?"

He chuckled. "I was hoping you'd ask…"

Lara slipped on the yellow-tinted frames with the equipped video and audio lenses. "Keep in contact," she ordered Zip. "And I'll do the same."

Lara took her guns at hand and walked towards the main hallway, armed and ready for action.

* * *

**Never a dull moment in the life of Lara Croft, eh? R&R please, and stay tuned...next chapter will reveal Lara's enemy...you might find yourself surprised!! =D**


	4. The Showdown

**Well, here is Chapter 4! We'll meet our new baddie (words loosely used)...I was happy to finally add a real fight scene, and some interesting revelations. Enjoy!**

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Alister pulled the giant, heavy brick door shut, sealing both him and Andrea in the darkness of the underground crypt. "I bloody hate this place," he complained. "Something's bound to jump out at any moment."

"You do this often?" Andrea asked.

Alister felt around in the dark for the flashlight on the nearby dingy wooden shelf. He clicked it on immediately, shining it around the hallways. That alone answered Andrea's question. "Oh, at least once a month," Alister said.

Andrea sighed quietly, utilizing such an action so as not to go into a convulsive panic. What would these people think of her then? They apparently were tough, strong. They knew how to play this game – what exactly _was_ this game? There were real enemies, with real guns, and real bullets. Not that it could harm Andrea, but what about these new friends of hers? Well…could she even call them her friends?

She wished with all her might that she could remember where she had lived, if she had a home, or any other family. She wished she could remember how these so-called psychic powers had come about to her, and why it seemed so simplistic to her. She wished she knew what exactly was going on. If she could find that man that had "promised" to help her in the first place, she might be able to get some answers, but where was he? And why would he help her?

The thought of his face and empty promises angered her beyond control, and as she balled her fist at her side at the thought of such things, they began to swell with orange, glowing energy. Alister, who had been fiddling with the walls for a trap door, stopped in his footsteps, staring in awe at Andrea's strange "talent."

"Andrea!" he cried. "What on earth are you doing?" Andrea startled at his call and faced him, the orange glow dying from her fist. "What?" she asked.

Alister, apparently confused at her sudden shift in mood, could only stare at her, his mouth gaping open. _This girl is something else,_ he thought. He gestured down the dark corridor. "Why don't we go this way," he mentioned cautiously. "I think it leads to an exit beneath Lara's bedroom."

"She told us to stay here," Andrea reminded him.

"Yes, but it's not safe," Alister said. "They could come in here any minute."

Andrea thought about this for a moment. It's not like they could harm _her._ But what about Alister? If he escaped safely, she could possibly stay and attempt to utilize these strange powers bestowed upon her, aiding Lara in whatever conquest was at hand. She faced Alister. "Give me the Chirugai," she demanded.

"What? No!" he protested. "Sorry, Andrea, but Lara told me to guard it with my life."

"Give it to me, and I'll go up there and help her. You need to get to safety. They can't hurt me, remember?"

"Like hell! I'm keeping this thing glued to my side no matter what!"

Andrea sighed inside, frustrated. There was no way he was going to hand it over. She would have to deal with what she had. She turned away from him, facing the direction they had entered from. "Then get out of here," she said. "I'm going to help Lara."

"Andrea, you need to stay put!" But his command was useless as the young girl jogged down the dark corridor and out of his sight.

* * *

  
"There're two coming from the side door outside the kitchen," Zip spoke into Lara's earpiece. "There are four coming from around the front door, and three from the back. Four more on the roof."

"This should be simple," Lara said, making her way quickly through the halls of the manor towards the second floor. She threw her grapple towards the chandelier in the center of the entryway and swung over to it, pulled up through the empty hole, and steadied herself on the brass edges. _This chandelier cost me £7000, _Lara moaned in her head, _and it's going straight to the floor._

The front doors burst open immediately after Lara heard the very faint sound of beeping from a bomb. Four men entered, steadying their shotguns and rifles, prepared for an attack.

"Lara what are you doing?" Zip asked. "Get them!"

"Patience, Zip," she soothed him. "This will only work once."

The men proceeded into the entryway, searching about. Lara drew in a deep breath. In a quick action, she shot her grapple at the metal ring on the pillar across from her, aimed her gun directly at the rope suspending the chandelier in the air, fired, and sailed through the air in the opposite direction as the heavy lights fell to the ground, crushing several of her assailants.

Lara sailed through the air, picking off the remaining enemies until her feet hit the ground, where she somersaulted safely to her feet. "More coming in from the back!" Zip shouted in her earpiece. Lara loaded her weapons. "Arm the second security bypass level," Lara instructed. "They won't even make it through the kitchen."

"Got it!" Zip said. This security would ensure harmful lasers from the floor up in all the surrounding rooms of the manor, including the crypt hallways where Alister and Andrea were. No one else could get in without their legs frying to pieces. "More coming in from the front, Lara," Zip said coolly.

As soon as he'd spoken, more men ambushed the manor, firing upon setting foot in the hallway. Lara dodged the bullets with rolls, flips, and countered shots. Amidst her distraction with the "simple enemies", Lara hadn't noticed the enemy that entered with the grenade launcher, and as soon as he fired it in her direction, she knew she was going to die. She shielded her arm, as if it would help, preparing to be blasted into oblivion. She closed her eyes, heard and felt the explosion, but looked down and saw…herself still standing. The remnants of the grenade floated in the air in pieces. Astonished, she looked behind her, seeing Andrea controlling the explosion within her own telekinetic field. Andrea appeared as shocked as Lara.

"Andrea!" she scolded. "I told you to stay with Alister!" She quickly fired at the mercenary with the grenade launcher, finishing him off. Andrea dropped her hands, the pieces of the grenade falling to the floor.

"They can't hurt me," she said simply. "Why not help out?"

"Where is Alister?" As soon as she asked, she heard the Londoner's whining voice from down the hall. Lara immediately lifted her guns upon seeing the guards gripping Alister's arms.

"Bloody hell! Let me go!" Alister complained. One of the guards reached around his pocket, taking hold of Chirugai. The other guard backhanded him, sending him to the floor with a bloody mouth. Lara was ready to kill him, but immediately, more guards entered from the front, and the allies were outnumbered. Even Zip, who had barely taken hold of his M16, was forced into submission on his knees. In such a quick instant, all four of the allies had been taken captive. Lara was angry, but had no choice but to drop her weapons, just as Zip. Zip and Alister were shoved forward into the small circle. Lara couldn't help but feel like they were gladiators in the Colosseum of Rome. _Bloody fantastic,_ she sighed to herself.

"Well, if you're going to shoot us, do it already," Zip said, his hands laced behind his head.

"Where would be the fun in that for me?" a male voice called from the front. The group of four faced the front doorway where an unseen man entered. Lara was shocked at who stood before her.

"James Rutland," she declared, more to herself than to anyone else. "Why is it that none of my enemies ever seem to die?"

The guard who had apprehended the Chirugai from Alister walked towards Rutland and handed him the weapon. Rutland held it up for admiration, then chuckled as he latched it onto his belt. "Beautiful," he commented.

"You," Andrea whispered.

Rutland glimpsed Andrea, and appeared almost shocked. "Andy," he said. "Good to see you again."

"You know him?" Lara asked her suspiciously.

"He's the man!" Andrea said. "He's the one who tried to –"

"Help you?" Rutland finished, approaching them. "No one ever seems to appreciate what I do for them."

"You tried to _kill_ me," Andrea said in a low, harsh voice. She balled her fist at her side, trembling with anger. It began to spark with glow energy around with it as it had before. Lara caught sight of it, glared strangely, and returned her attention to Rutland. "I might as well be dead anyway."

"You'll get on with life," he said simplistically.

"What do you want with the Chirugai?" Lara asked him, drawing his attention away from the angry young girl at her side.

"Oh, this?" he said, patting the weapon safely at his side. "Wouldn't you like to know…"

"Precisely why I asked."

"For once, the great Lara Croft doesn't know what she's getting herself into!" Rutland said, grinning with amazement. "I'd like to tell you, but I think it'd be better if you learned on your own. Kind of like little Andrea here did."

The glow around Andrea's fists intensified. _This girl could be dangerous if she's angered,_ Lara thought carefully. _I need to keep Rutland's attention away from her._ "Could this have anything to do with the Fountain of Youth?" she asked.

"Ah, now you're catching on!" Rutland congratulated her. "Not just a myth. Kind of like Excalibur and Avalon," he reminded her.

Lara recalled the event earlier that night, where the blade of the Chirugai had cut Andrea. She stole a glimpse at the girl's hand, and noted that the blood in the bandage had increased. _It didn't heal_, she thought. _Perhaps the Chirugai is the only thing that can harm an immortal of the Fountain's springs. But why would Rutland want it? To make sure his only Kryptonite is kept within sight?_

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got things to take care of," Rutland said.

"I hate you!" Andrea shouted.

He stopped in his tracks. "What was that?"

"How can you do this to me? You try to kill me, and then you leave me behind!"

"Andrea," he sighed, "you had a purpose, don't you get it? I didn't drop you off here on coincidence."

Lara, Zip, and Alister simultaneously turned their heads towards Andrea, who kept an evil stare on Rutland. "Is that true?" Lara asked, slightly shocked. She faced Rutland. "You were using her to get to the Chirugai?"

"Why so shocked?" Rutland asked. "You know what it means to get ahead, don't you? I'm sure you do – you must do it all the time."

"I don't put innocent people in harm's way," Lara bellowed.

"Innocent?" Rutland laughed. "She's the farthest thing from it."

Lara almost glanced at Andrea, but that was exactly what Rutland wanted – to turn them against each other so he could manipulate the rest of the situation. She kept her gaze on Rutland, but Andrea lost control. She fired a psychic blast of orange energy towards Rutland, sending him flying into the back wall. She proceeded forward, her fists glowing with orange energy. Lara took that as her cue, and immediately backhanded her captor and seized her weapons, opening fire on those around her. Zip regained his weapons and followed suit. However, the real battle had only just begun.

Rutland shook his head, startled from the attack. Then, he chuckled. "I guess the legends about Exuma were real," he said.

"Sorry," Andrea said passively. "I guess all that time you thought I was worthless after leaving me behind was a big mistake on your part."

Rutland slowly rose to his feet. "Perhaps I underestimated you, Andy," he said. "Your father would be proud."

Angered, Andrea shot another burst of energy his way, but he held up his hands, and blue psychic energy blocked the attack. Andrea dropped her defenses, shocked at Rutland's own defenses. _How did he do that?_ she asked herself. _He though Exuma was a fake after he saw what happened with me…_Rutland then swung a fist towards her face, punching her squarely in the mouth, sending her several feet backwards onto the floor.

Lara glanced towards Zip, who shrugged. "There's nothing we can do!" he said. "This is their fight!"

"We can't just stay out of it, though," Lara said pointedly. "There must be something…" When she looked up, she saw Rutland gathering an orb of blue energy in his hands. He pulled his fists back and then launched it at Andrea, who was already on the floor. Her body flew up in the air, and landed several feet back. She heard Rutland chuckle. "Nice try, kid," he said. "You're not so bad."

Andrea wasn't about to give up. She stood to her feet, ever so slowly. Rutland removed the Chirugai from his belt, spinning it on his finger casually. "Let's see what this thing can do," he said. He activated it with his psychic powers, and the blades ejected. Andrea immediately fired a blast of orange energy his way, knocking him backwards. He blocked her next attack and threw the Chirugai in her direction, slicing her wrist. She cried out in pain, gripping her previously unharmed arm. Then, she was thrown forcefully backwards as a blue energy hit her in the stomach. Rutland released another one of his casual chuckles.

Andrea groaned as she sat up on her hands, glaring evilly at Rutland. He formed another blue orb of energy in his palm, staring down at his pathetic match. "That's enough, Rutland!" Lara said, her guns trained on him.

"Oh, this isn't for her," he said simply. Then, he jerked the orb towards her, as it descended into a horizontal path of blue energy, sending Lara, Alister, and Zip backwards into the wall with a thud. Lara's vision blurred for a moment, then she shook her head, trying to sit up. _I'm going to be sore in the morning,_ she thought. She put a hand to her head, trying to see what was going on. She saw Rutland bent down near Andrea, apparently conversing with him. _What are you waiting for, Andrea?_ she asked herself. _Attack him!_ She saw Andrea nodding slowly, then heard Rutland's stupid chuckle. He stood, hooking the Chirugai onto his belt, then turned, facing the doorway, and exiting as casually as he had entered.

Andrea slowly pulled herself to her hands and knees, fighting desperately for energy. She gripped her wrist as it pumped blood. She startled at the sight of Lara standing above her, holding an Uzi trained at her head. "W-What are you doing?" Andrea asked fearfully. She knew it couldn't harm her, but the thought of this woman, whom she'd assumed was her ally, holding a gun at her head was fearful enough in itself.

"What did he tell you?"

Andrea's stomach dropped. "What?"

"Stop playing games with me!" Lara shouted. "Tell me what he told you! You could've taken him out just now, but you –"

"Lara, stop!" Alister urged her, approaching her side. "This is pointless…"

"Is that why you were here?" she asked Andrea, ignoring Alister. "Did he send you to steal the Chirugai?"

"Yes, he did," Andrea admitted. "I couldn't remember it, though! And even if I could've, I wouldn't have done it! Why would I help him?"

"For the same reason you won't speak against him now," Lara pointed out. "What did he promise you?"

Andrea wanted to tell her – oh, how she wanted to. This woman seemed so trustworthy, even despite the gun held at her head. _She's just trying to protect herself,_ Andrea reasoned with herself. _Right now, I'm the enemy._ But after what Rutland had told her, she couldn't reveal it to Lara. Andrea looked down, shaking her head negatively. "I…I can't."

Lara held the gun trained on her head for another moment, anger seeping throughout her being. Then, she drew back, facing away from Andrea. She tried to ease her unsteady breathing. "Tonight, you can rest here," she told the girl, "but tomorrow, I want you to leave. I can't trust you."

"Lara, where is she going to go?" Zip asked pointedly.

Lara looked into his eyes with anger, then turned and headed up the stairs, retiring to bed. Zip looked down at the pathetic child at his feet, but all she could do was stare out the doorway at the path Rutland had taken, as though he still stood before her, taunting her with those blue orbs of energy.

* * *

**How's that for a shocker? At least that's what I hoped it was haha. Perhaps not...anyway...stay with me! Chapter 5 is short, but it will add some insight to little Andrea...and no, Kurtis is not forgotten...just keep on your toes!! =D R&R please!**

**I appreciate the reviews that have already been submitted as well. Thank you guys!! :)**


	5. Runaway

**Hello all!! Thank you for your continuing patronage, especially to OveractiveImagineer...your eager interest makes me happy :)**

**Also, I know it seems like the focus has been a lot on Andrea right now, but I have to get some ground established for her before jumping into the focus of the story, so please be patient with me, and have faith in me!! =D**

**This chapter is short, but Chapter 6 will be up soon...I'm just as eager to post as you guys are to read haha. So enjoy!!**

* * *

"_We'll have to take out a second mortgage on the house," Henry said from the other room. Andrea stood around the corner, knowing well enough that if she were caught out of bed spying on her parents' conversation, she'd be punished._

"_I know that," Susana sighed irritably. "But what else can we do? It's either that or let the bank foreclose on it. Then, we'd have absolutely nothing."_

"_We can hardly pay the bills as it is, Sue," Henry argued._

"_So what do you suggest? I'm not about to declare bankruptcy."_

"_It may be our only option. A second mortgage is far too expensive."_

_Andrea dropped her head, feeling sadly pathetic for causing all this drama with her parents. _If I weren't sick in the first place,_ she thought,_ we wouldn't have to worry about this._ She continued to listen to their conversation, flicking away the tear that had fallen._

_Susana sighed. "I don't know why we're fretting so much about this, anyway. All that matters is that we make Andrea better. If we lose her, I…I…" She stammered as she tried to smother a sob._

"_Don't say it," Henry warned. "Don't even think it." He leaned over the mantle, lost in thought. "There's only one other option I can think of, and it'll hopefully cost less…"_

_Susana looked up." What is it?"_

"_You remember James Rutland?" he asked, facing her._

"_Yes, you've mentioned him," she said. "He's James's youngest boy…"_

"_He went to West Point in New York," he said. "It's a military college. He trained to major in medical science, and after he got out of the military, he went straight into medical school."_

"_What about it?" Susana asked impatiently._

"_Although he doesn't practice medicine, I'm sure I could convince him to help us with Andy. His father is a good friend of mine, so I don't see the problem…"_

_She sighed. "Too much wishful thinking, Henry."_

"_Well, let's just see!" he chided. He picked up the phone, drew in a deep breath, and dialed a number. After a few rings, a woman's voice responded. "Yes, I need to speak with James, James Rutland," he said. He was transferred to another line. The phone rang four times, and he was sure no one was going to answer. _Dammit,_ he thought. Then, the line was answered._

"_This is James," the voice said._

"_James, this is Henry Thompson," he said, a bit nervous._

"_Ah, Henry!" he greeted him. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you since the last time you got together with my father."_

"_That's right," Henry chuckled. "I'm sorry to call so late, but I have a sort of…favor…to ask of you."_

"_Anything! Name it."_

_Susana held her breath as Henry relayed the story over to the receiver to their distant friend on the other line. When he was finished, his face was ashen, and he was drained. Perhaps he suspected a negative reply. "So do you think you could possibly pull some strings?" he asked nervously._

_After an eternity, Susan assumed, Henry finally hung up the phone. He faced her, drawing in a deep breath, then smiled. "He's going to take her to Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. He promised to cover all the expenses."_

These memories were slowly returning to Andrea as each hour passed. She could vaguely recall hearing Rutland's name mentioned for the first time. She remembered meeting him for the first time, how she'd admired him for the first time, how she'd assumed he would take her to the top cancer research institute and she'd return home to Utah perfectly healed and clean. _Too much wishful thinking,_ as her mother once said. _He sure was quite the manipulative bastard_.

Andrea turned in her bed – well, the bed she was allowed to sleep in, for tonight – and stared up at the ceiling. Guilt seeped through her entire being, eternally sorry that she was betraying these people who had been so good to her. Despite what Rutland had done to her, she couldn't betray him either. He was the closest thing he had to family. He had mentored her, trained her, taught her history and legends and myths of old – oh, yeah, and he had made her his guinea pig in testing the waters of the Fountain of Youth, left her for dead, then returned to find her so he could use her in his evil plot of revenge on Lara Croft. She couldn't forget those details. Still, despite all that, she wanted to trust him. She craved his attention like an alcoholic craved a hard drink. She wanted to prove herself to him – but why? To show him what he'd done to her only made her stronger? To hope he would earnestly apologize, and she could return with him, wherever it was that he was going?

Despite her best efforts to reason with herself, she couldn't come up with a substantial reason to actually trust him. _I can't stay here, though,_ she thought. _They don't trust me, and why should they? I already proved my loyalty to Rutland by not giving up what he said to me._ If she could go back in time, she would tell Lara every word he'd said to her. It didn't matter now, though. She was an outcast from this home, and Rutland had made off with the Chirugai. Why was Lara so keen to it? The look in her eye when anyone but she touched it was enough to start a fire. _That Lux Veritatis warrior…_she thought. _Perhaps he had been a good friend of hers and he died._

Then, Andrea jumped out of the bed and headed across the hall to the library. She quietly entered, hoping she wouldn't awaken anyone, and removed a book listed under 'L'. She sat cross-legged on the floor, skimming through the pages until she crossed her target – Lux Veritatis. …_a group of warrior monks existing as early as the thirteen hundreds that fought to defeat the black arts and black alchemist…_Why was that relevant to this situation? _The group was eventually murdered off by the Black Alchemist, never to be heard of or seen again…_until Lara met that man, that is. _A Lux Veritatis warrior's weapon of choice was the Chirugai, a glaive-like weapon with six-inch long blades ejected from within. The warriors controlled these weapons with telepathy. No human being without such powers could withstand controlling such a weapon, as his or her mind lacked the capacity to attribute such skill. The Chirugai's blades were carved out of titanium metal (a difficult task), and the disk itself was made from solid steel. Legend held that the Chirugai was the most powerful weapon to the warrior because of its ability to defeat both mortal and immortal enemies._

Andrea closed the book shut. There was her answer. This Lux Veritatis man, who had been a friend of Lara's, owned the Chirugai. It was important to her. Andrea reached for the necklace dangling from her neck, the heart-shaped locket her father had given her. _I'd feel the same way if someone took this from me,_ she thought. Then, she realized what she had to do.

Lara awakened the next morning after a restless night of sleep, or lack thereof. Dreams of Kurtis, Andrea, and the Chirugai kept her tossing and turning all night, and when she awakened at nine a.m., she was startled to have slept in so late. _Bugger! Jake will be here in an hour,_ she thought, throwing the bedcovers over and quickly dressing herself. Luckily, she had packed her bag of clothes the night before.

Within ten minutes, she was heading down the stairs of her home with two bags at hand…and an irritated look on her face. "Why didn't anyone wake me?" she asked upon seeing her comrades.

"Sorry, Lara," Alister apologized dryly. "We were busy sweeping up the chandelier mess and disposing of the bodies."

"Lovely," she groaned.

"Not as lovely as finding out that Andrea is gone," Zip chipped in, leaning on the broom handle. "She must've ran away during the night."

"She's _what_?" Lara asked, growing even more frustrated.

"Well, after last night, we'd assumed you'd be ecstatic to hear of the news," Alister commented, continuing to sweep.

"I was angry with her," Lara admitted, "but I need her. She is a big factor in this game."

"Well, it only takes three guesses to figure out where she's gone to," Zip said simply.

"Or perhaps more," Lara argued. "It seems she's chosen to either flee to Exuma or remain loyal to Rutland."

"After what he did to her?" Alister countered. "Unlikely…"

"Well, she wouldn't betray him, that's for certain," Lara said. "She's tough to keep under your thumb."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, regardless…" Alister said nervously.

"Alister, she's a fifteen-year-old runaway," Lara said flatly. "Immortal or not, she shouldn't be alone." She sighed, frustrated. "I'll have to find her. I can't let her go off on her own out there."

"Or she'll find you," Zip said. "Rutland's going to Exuma, you're going to Exuma…she'll likely be there, too. Head for Exuma first, and if she doesn't show face, then we'll track her down for you."

Lara sighed again. "Fine," she finished.

A knock on the front door signaled that Jake had arrived to pick her up, and he was early. Winston answered the door and let the tall, blonde Brit inside to greet the manor's occupants. "Good to see everyone again," he said, smiling. "Are we ready to go?"

Lara took her bags at hand. "Ready as ever."

* * *

**Well, I wonder what Rutland could've told Andrea...? Hmmm.... haha. Sorry again for the short length!! Will update soon...your reviews keep me going! Thank you to all who have done so so far. I really do appreciate it!! Stay tuned!! :)**


	6. The Great Exuma

**I know, intolerably short Ch5, so I'm making up with it for this long Ch6...quite a lot of history/research put into this chapter, though I'm not claiming it as 100% accurate...I fabricated some of the stuff here, but for the most, it's true.**

Looots of explanation throughout this chapter about the Fountain and such...you'll see for yourself =D R&R.

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"This will do perfectly," Lara said to Jake via headset. "Thank you for your help. Zip will handle things money-wise."

"Anytime for you, Lara," Jake responded. "Take care!"

Lara watched the Cessna 172 fly away over her head, returning across the eastern horizon, heading for the United Kingdom. Lara drew in a deep breath from the mountain she stood atop, taking in the vast view of the tropical islands of the Bahamas. "And to think I've never vacationed here."

"It is quite remarkable," Alister commented via headset. "Given the circumstances, however…"

"Never admirable," Lara agreed. "So what news do we have, boys?"

"Well, assuming you're following de León's advice," Alister began, "the Fountain should be located in the district of the Great Exuma, on the island of Musha Cay. Apparently, deep within lie the healing waters that de León and Andrea both spoke of."

"Smashing," Lara said cheerily. "Thankfully Jake settled me right here in the Great Exuma – exactly where I need to be."

"George Town is the capital of the district," Alister chipped in. "Say hello to David Copperfield if you run into him."

"Unlikely," Lara said, amused. "But I'll send him your regards in case." Lara scaled the land from where she stood, trying to decide where exactly to start. Sure, she was in the right place, the right island, but farther than that, she knew nothing. Suddenly, though, Lara heard a whirring noise in the air and looked up to see a chopper approaching from the east.

"Aha," she said, not at all surprised. "Looks like the tourists are coming." She removed her binoculars for a closer look.

"I put a million dollars on the fact that it's Rutland," Zip commented.

"Or his band of foolish followers," Lara added. "You'd think they would've been here sooner."

"Well, if they've been here before, they should know exactly where to go," Alister said.

"Yes, but I don't want to follow them," Lara said, putting away her binoculars. "I want to beat them to it."

"Careful, Lara," Zip warned. "Remember, he's got psychic powers, _and_ he has the Chirugai."

"Yes, well, I'll remind him who _I_ am when we reunite," she said, revenge tinged in her voice for his theft of the item most precious to her. "I don't respond lightly to hostile negotiations." Lara noted that the helicopter was flying due north of the island. _Then I'll cut straight through the trees and roundabout on the opposite side of the pond,_ she decided to herself. Setting her step to a light jog, Lara proceeded deep into the heart of the jungle, in pursuit of James Rutland yet again.

Amidst her quick pace, Lara was delighted to see the variety of shrubs and trees and exotic wildlife growing all around. _Perhaps I'll come back someday, not for business,_ she thought to herself. Up ahead, Lara heard voices. They were likely coming from Rutland's goons. Drawing her pistols at hand, she proceeded forward with a light step so as not to be seen or heard. She peered through the trees to catch sight of a large truck with a canvas covering. The men were loading weapons into the back, shouting at each other in both French and Spanish. _Odd_, Lara thought. _Perhaps the French-speakers are who Rutland hired back home, and the Spanish-speakers are from Cuba, or Florida, or even Southern Mexico._ Regardless, Lara knew she needed to high-tail onto that truck.

The men climbed into the back and the passenger's seas, starting the engine. They were heading north, and Lara knew they were heading for the Fountain. She thought as quickly as she could as the vehicle began to move forward. Then, as it picked up speed, moving forward, Lara ran alongside of it, being sure to stay hidden in the trees on the trodden jungle path. There was an opening up ahead for her to break, and when she did, she immediately threw her grapple to the hitch on the back of the truck. The men in the back shouted to each other and quickly drew their weapons. Lara leaned back on her grapple, surfing the dirt as though she were boarding off the back of a boat on the lake. With one hand, she drew a pistol and quickly gunned down the four men standing on the back, dodging flying bullets as she did so. Then, she pulled herself forward, using all her strength. Finally, she reached the back of the truck and climbed on, settling into the back corner for the rest of the bumpy ride.

"You never cease to amaze me, Lara," Zip commented. Lara crouched down, pulling the top off of one of the wooden boxes in the truck. "Most have come to that realization," Lara put simply. Prying the lid off, Lara took hold of the beautiful assault rifle that had been packed away. A grin came to her face as she loaded the weapon.

"Looks like you've reached your destination, Lara," Alister told her as the truck pulled to a halt. She heard voices shouting, and she knew they would be coming to the back of the truck to retrieve their weapons. As soon as the flap opened, Lara opened fire, immediately jumping out from the back of the truck, dodging bullets and taking cover behind the trees. When her assailants had all fallen, she looked around. "I don't see any pond," she commented. "Where are we?"

"Not sure," Zip said. "Your coordinates place you exactly at Musha Cay, but I don't see any ponds close by on the GPS map, and even worse, I don't see Rutland."

Lara took a few steps forward, towards the trees that lay at an awkward angle. She glanced around her current environment, taking note of the strange circumstances. "It's fall," Lara commented passively.

"Yes, it is," Alister said. "Did you bump your head or something?"

Lara ignored him. _It's fall,_ she repeated to herself. "Why are these trees healthy and new, and the rest dying?"

"As they should be…?" Zip pointed out.

Lara removed a leaf from the green tree and a leaf from the dying tree. "That's peculiar," Alister commented. "I wonder why…"

Lara dropped the leaves on the ground and then reached through the trees, pushing aside branches and high grassroots to proceed forward. "Lara, what are you doing?" Zip asked. "You're just walking into an abyss of trees."

"Quiet," she commanded. She continued forward ten paces, until the final tree she pushed back revealed a vast, sparkling pond before her eyes. She breathed a small gasp, taken aback by the beauty of the sight. "So this is the Fountain of Youth," Lara said to herself. "It's absolutely beautiful."

She stepped forward, approached the water's edge. The water was clearer than crystal, and she couldn't even see her reflection. It looked like a picture from a traveling pamphlet. She tapped into her headset. "What was that about not finding any ponds nearby on your GPS map, Zip?" she asked. After a moment, though, she gained no response. "Hello, Zip? Alister?" Still, no response. She rose to her feet. "That's odd," she thought.

Lara heard distant shuffling, and turned around just in time to see Rutland and his band of loyal followers surrounding her from the direction she'd come in. She reached for her weapons, but stopped when she realized that she was obviously outnumbered. "Quite a sight, huh?" Rutland commented. Lara became instantly angry when she saw him spin the Chirguai on his finger, as though it were a pair of car keys. "That's what I thought when I first came here."

"So this is the Fountain of Youth?" Lara asked cautiously.

Rutland stepped closer, walking past Lara as he reached the water's edge. He knelt down near it and dipped his hand in it, letting the liquid fall through his fingers. "Why don't you jump in and find out?" he retorted, rising to his feet.

"Because you've already volunteered yourself as that guinea pig," Lara said, folding her arms over her chest.

Rutland scoffed. "Nice one," he commented. "I'm not here looking for immortality – at the moment, anyway."

"Then what are you looking for?" Lara asked.

"And why would I tell you?" Rutland said. Lara just glared at him. He scoffed again. "I see your newest flunky isn't at your side. What a shame."

"If you're referring to Andrea, I was about to make the same comment to you."

He chuckled a bit. "No, she's not with me."

"And how do I know you're not bluffing?"

"What use do I have of her?" Rutland asked. "I got what I needed."

"Could that perhaps be the Chirugai?" Lara asked, eyeing her prize.

He spun it on his finger again. "Bingo."

"Then what are you still doing here?"

Rutland turned to her, grinning evilly. "I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

"I've heard that one before."

"Or, I could just kill you instead…?"

"Ah, skipping small talk and moving right to the negotiations," Lara said, returning his grin. "Finally someone who understands my language."

"Aw," Rutland cooed. "We'd make such a cute little couple, wouldn't we?"

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged," he said. In a quick instant, he threw the Chirugai in her direction, a blue glow following behind it. Lara was skilled at dodging the Chirugai's path – she'd done it time and time again. Bolting through the trees around the left, Lara dodged even more bullets, glancing behind to see the Chirugai returning. _I liked the damned thing more when it was in Kurtis's hand,_ she thought. _Even when he _did_ throw it at me._

Lara skidded to a halt as she reached the edge of a cliff. Down below, she saw sharp rocks and blue water. _Shit_, she thought frantically. "Lara, what's going on?" Zip asked quickly through the headset. "You cut out!"

"I'm a little busy at the moment," Lara said nervously. She turned around, thinking as quickly as she could. She heard shouts in the jungle, and bullets skimmed past her head. She had no choice but to turn and dive into the water, praying to God that she wouldn't hit anything.

Once her body pierced through the water, she was immediately thankful that she had missed the rocks – _and_ the shallow bottom. She quickly submerged again, swimming towards the alcove she saw tucked away in the cliff wall. Fighting the waves, though, proved to be quite a challenge. Time after time, she was thrown against the sharp edges of the rocks, and she was certain there would be blood. The salt water didn't help, either. Finally, she reached the alcove and climbed in, spitting up sea water. She would be safe here, at least for the moment.

"Lara, are you alright?" Alister asked.

"One hundred percent," she said. "Glad to be away from those fools."

"What happened, exactly?" he asked. "You cut out – video, audio, everything!"

Lara frowned. "You mean, you didn't see it?"

"See what?" Zip asked.

"The Fountain," she said. "I found it. Then, I was fortunate enough to cross paths with Rutland and his men. They opened fire on me almost immediately."

"We didn't get any of that," Alister said. "How convenient. I would've liked to have seen it."

"It was beautiful," Lara said. "Sparkling waters, just like Andrea described it. The entire threshold surrounding it was straight out of a traveler's magazine."

Alister sighed. "Wonderful. And I missed it."

"I wonder why the communications were interrupted," Zip pondered.

"Bad reception, is all," Alister said simply.

"Come on, man," Zip argued. "We've trekked through the Himalayas, Ghana, underground shafts, and skyscraper roofs. I think my comm devices can handle the Bahamas."

"If you say so," Alister mumbled.

"Speaking of Andrea, did you find her yet?" Zip chipped in.

Lara turned on her LED light to illuminate the alcove. "No. Rutland said she wasn't with him, but he could be holding a very good poker face."

"I just hope she's okay…" Zip said. "I hate not knowing what happened with her."

"I'm sure we'll cross paths with her," Alister said. "No worries."

Lara's light revealed that this little alcove was a lot more than just a nook in the cliff wall – it was an entire cave, and it went a lot deeper than she cared to venture. However, the markings on the wall probed Lara forward. She approached them, skimming over them gently with her hand. "Hieroglyphs," she remarked. "These must've been carved by the Lucayanos, a descendent tribe of the Arawaks."

"My God, Lara, they're astounding!" Alister commented.

"Yes, they are," she agreed. "The Arawaks were quite a curious people. Just like the Mayans, they have their mysteries that historians to this day don't understand."

"Like their inability to stay put in one place," Alister said, "hence why they could be found all over Central America."

Lara stepped away, thinking. "In ancient history, de León was told of the land of Bimini by the Arawaks. He'd assumed that this mythical land rested somewhere in the Bahamas, but it was later translated to reveal that the land was actually located near Honduras."

"Maybe the tribes got their stories mixed up," Zip offered. "It's kind of like when you play that 'telephone' game. Everything turns into a he-said-she-said."

"Perhaps," Lara perused, "or maybe Bimini was one and the same both in Honduras and in the Bahamas."

"The Spanish heard of Bimini from the Arawaks of Cuba at the time, the Taino people," Alister said. "They also heard of it from the Borequino people in Puerto Rico."

"…and the Taino chief, Sequene, sought to find the Fountain, but never returned," Lara added thoughtfully. "Assuming that Sequene really did find the Fountain, he would've gone to Honduras to look for it, not to the Bahamas."

"But clearly, the Fountain _is_ here in the Bahamas," Zip interrupted, "so where could Sequene have gone? History claims he headed north from Cuba, which is where we are – the Bahamas. Most argue that he went to Honduras instead, but that's to the west…"

"Like I said, the Fountain described by de León and the Fountain described by the Arawaks could be one and the same, just in different locations," Lara said. "How that is possible, is the true question…"

Lara returned to the hieroglyphs, hoping to pick up some of the markings, while Alister rambled on. "Legend holds that if Sequene truly did find the Fountain, he didn't return because he had found such wealth, he didn't feel the need to go back. Then again, that's assuming he actually found the Fountain. If that _isn't_ the case, he could've just been shipwrecked, stranded, and died."

"Or something else," Lara added, reading into the hieroglyphs. "The Arawaks were a very spiritual people, deeply devoted to their nature gods. Even their pottery held some sort of devotion to nature, being shaped as a bird or some other animal, or what not. The majority of their religion comes from the stories about people being turned into objects of nature themselves, due to an underlying lack of respect."

"They were punished, essentially," Alister said.

"Yes, but what some call punishment, others call fortune," Lara told him. "I believe Rutland is a perfect example of this. Perhaps immortality wasn't intended to be something sought after, but something dreaded."

"Well, who _would_ want to be stuck on the earth forever?" Zip asked rhetorically. "Maybe the Arawaks saw it as a punishment."

"Exactly my thought," Lara finished. "Although I'm not sure Rutland would be clever enough to go to Honduras to look for the Fountain if he's already found this one."

"Debatable," Alister put in.

"Well, he _did_ say once that history didn't interest him," she said. "But we shan't take any chances." Lara continued deeper into the cave, shining light on the hieroglyphs that extended even further down the cavern. She hoped to find something interesting, but when she reached a dead end, she was immediately let down. "Well, that didn't last long," Lara sighed. She was about to turn away when she caught glimpse of a specific hieroglyph. She approached it and realized it wasn't a hieroglyph at all – they were Spanish words. "Hello, what are you doing here…?" Lara mused aloud. The words had been carved into the walls, but how? _Death awaits us…we've committed terrible acts…I leave my words…_Then, Lara caught sight of it – the rock that was loosely set into the wall. She approached it and pried at it, pulling it away, as difficult as it was. It had been lodged in by human hands, and settled in with the force of the ocean's waters. When she reached inside though, she was surprised to see dust floating about. She reached her arm in carefully and felt around, hearing scurrying within. _Bugs,_ she thought. _Disgusting little creatures._

Finally, she felt something rough. When she withdrew her hand, she found a small, leather-bound notebook. "What on earth is that?" Alister asked.

"It's a notebook," Lara said, carefully pulling the pages apart. "The language is hardly decipherable." Some sections were still intact. "My God," she breathed. "These dates – they begin as early as 1492!"

"Those buggers at the British Museum would kill to get their hands on this," Alister laughed. "What's it doing in here, though?"

"'The Taino have come upon us again,'" Lara translated slowly. "'When Columbus departed these forgotten shores, the other sailors took it upon themselves to poke fun at the natives. As expected, it wasn't tolerated – the Taino burned down our fort, La Navidad, and killed all but me. Instead, I was banished. Here I sit in this cave, writing these words, knowing that they could change their minds and kill me as well. I only sit here, waiting for Columbus to return so I can return to my home in Spain.'"

"Remarkable," Alister said. "It was one of Columbus's sailors from his first voyage!"

"Yes, but the Taino settled Cuba," Lara said, pocketing the notebook. "They didn't settle the Bahamas. How did he manage to get here?"

"Maybe he swam all the way," Zip added. "Or maybe he stole a longboat and wrecked here."

"That's how these markings came to be," Lara said, her hand falling over the Spanish words. "He'd inhabited this cave, and he must've used fire and ash to embed the markings into the walls."

"It's a wonder they've lasted this long," Zip said.

"Do you think the journal will make note of the Fountain?" Alister asked. "After all, de León _did_ sail with Columbus on his second voyage – perhaps the stories had been mentioned to the sailors on the ships."

"Perhaps," Lara agreed. "We'll have to wait and see."

"Until when?" Alister asked.

"I hate to crash the party," Zip said quickly, "but satellite feeds show enemies in bound on foot and via chopper."

Lara moved towards the front of the cave. "Are they close to my location?"

"They will be in a few minutes," Zip said. "You'd better hurry."

"Hurry where?" Alister asked.

"Up the cliff and through the jungle on the other side," Lara said casually. She peeked her head outside the cave as the helicopter flew by. _This isn't going to be easy,_ she thought. She jumped over the rocks that blocked the entrance to the cave and dove into the water, swimming towards the opposite cliff edges. She looked up. _I can climb that, no problem,_ she told herself. She took hold of the crevices and began to scale her way up the short wall. She moved quickly, knowing enemies were coming.

As soon as she reached the edge of the cliff, men from the opposite cliff opened fire with their assault rifles. Lara ducked out of the way quickly and treaded further into the jungle. _I don't even know where I'm going,_ Lara thought. As she continued running, she heard a whirring noise behind her head. She knew what to expect as she dived out of the Chirugai's deadly path. _Doesn't Rutland ever stop with that thing?_ she thought. Strangely, the Chirugai continued to sail through the air, forward, not hooking back to attempt to kill her again. She was thankful, regardless, and continued to run. She could see light peeking out from the trees ahead. _Almost there,_ she thought. Her feet pounded against the jungle floor until she shoved her way through the brush. She glanced around frantically. Where to now?

"Lara, watch out!" Zip warned. "There's a chopper in bound, but I can't make sight of whether or not it's Rutland's men."

"Who else would it be?" she asked rhetorically, frustrated and panicky.

Before she had a real chance to react, she turned around to face the helicopter descending towards the cliffside. She drew her weapon and aimed it at the body in the cockpit. She was just about to fire until the person dropped a ladder down to her to ascend. Confused, she slowly lowered her gun.

"Who is it, Lara?" Alister asked.

"I don't know," she said. "But I think they're here to help."

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**I wonder who could be arriving in the chopper...wait and see!! =D**


	7. The Fountain of Retribution

**Well, I was going to keep you guys waiting until tomorrow, but I couldn't bring myself to do it :) Haha. Here is Chapter 7, and I hope you like it!**

Sorry about the name mixup, OveractiveIMAGINER haha. Like I said...I might have dislexia. Kidding. Okay, read on, please! R&R.

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In the distance, Lara heard the shouts of people approaching and guns firing. They reached the cliff's edge as the helicopter began to pull away. She opened fire, but knew that she would need to get out of harm's way, otherwise she might come face-to-face with the Grim Reaper.

She climbed towards the safe haven of the cockpit, but lost her grip as a bullet flew past her head. She reached around frantically for an edge, but was rescued by the hand of her supposed comrade. When she looked into the person's eyes, her stomach dropped.

"Kurtis?" she breathed, the majority of her weight in his hand, keeping her from falling below. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting my Chirugai back," he said, grinning slyly. "I've missed it."

Lara's heart sank. _But what about me? Did you miss me?_ She could only stare into his eyes as though he weren't real. Then, he pulled her up into the cockpit. She was a bit dumbfounded, feeling like a damsel in distress, as he had been the one to rescue her from falling below.

"Where are we going?" she shouted over the whirring off the propellers.

"We're going into Honduras," he said. "Although I'm sure you already knew that's where we need to go."

_We?_ "What are you talking about?"

"We'll talk later," Kurtis hushed her, "once we reach the hotel." The pilot flew the helicopter south, assuring his passengers that they'd arrive in about an hour. _Wonderful,_ Lara thought. _An hour, and all we can do is stare at each other._

Lara leaned over to the far side of the bench, watching the water pass by below, praying they would get to Honduras quickly. She did the best she could to block out the thoughts and feelings that immediately began to swarm over her within seconds.

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"We need two two-bed rooms," Lara told the receptionist in Spanish. The receptionist fiddled with the keys on the keyboard, skimming through the list of available rooms on the computer. Lara refused to make eye contact with Kurtis – it was just too hard. They hadn't exchanged any words other than those of business, and even then, those had been scarce. This was all a bit overwhelming. Kurtis appears out of nowhere, takes his Chirugai (how did he get it?), insists they leave, and now, they were about to be sharing conjoined rooms in a hotel in Honduras. As if things weren't awkward enough. Lara wasn't new to the idea of indifference, though – she could play things off, at least for awhile.

"You're in luck," the clerk said. "There are two adjacent rooms available for booking."

Lara quickly reserved them, requested four room keys, and trekked towards the stairs to the room on the fifth floor. "Mind telling me why you got four keys?" Kurtis chipped in.

"My friends from London will be coming here to help with communications and intel," she said dryly. "They'll need a room of their own."

Lara approached the door, slid the key down the monitor, and pushed the door open. Two beds, a dresser, a television, and an ocean view_._ Lara unstrapped her backpack and began plugging in her laptop, trying to connect with Zip and Alister visually, as well as ignore Kurtis's presence (or lack thereof).

"Hello, Lara," Alister said upon power-up. "All settled in?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I also reserved a room for the two of you. I'm going to need you here. How soon can you be here?"

"It's going to be a ten hour flight," Zip said, appearing on the screen. "We'll be there by ten a.m. tomorrow. Think you can hold out that long?"

"Not a problem," she said cheerily.

"Lara, have you had a chance to look at the notebook yet?" Alister asked.

"No," she said. "I just got here."

"Be careful with it," Zip warned. "It's five hundred years old. When we get there tomorrow morning, I'll analyze it and extract the writings for a better view so we can keep everything intact."

"Of course," she said. "I'll safeguard it. Now how exactly am I supposed to find the Fountain?"

"Ah, yes," Alister remembered. "Amidst our research, we came across something quite interesting – a map within the history of the Lux Veritatis. According to legend, the blades of the Chirugai have some type of ancient writings on them –"

"Lux Veritatis glyphs," Kurtis interrupted, stepping into view.

"Who is...?" Zip asked slowly.

"He's the Lux Veritatis warrior," Lara said, introducing him passively. "His name is Kurtis."

"Oh…" Zip said slowly, piecing things together.

"The glyphs were inscribed on the blades back in the 1300s. When they're deciphered, they reveal the location of the Fountain."

"How are the Fountain and the Lux Veritatis related?" Alister queried.

"The Lux Veritatis are descended from the Arawak tribes," Kurtis explained.

"I did tell you that the Arawaks are as mysterious as the Mayans," Lara chipped in.

"Yeah, yeah," Zip waved her off. "So how do we translate the map?" Zip asked.

"It's not easy," Kurtis said, "that's why it's not been done. It requires extreme psychic concentration to both still the revolutions of the disk and to deplete the harmful psychic energy emissions."

"And I'm assuming that you don't know how to do that…?" Alister said.

Kurtis shook his head negatively. "I've been trying to figure it out for the longest time."

"Well, do let us know how that goes," Alister said. "Until then, we'll be packing for Honduras. We'll see you two tomorrow morning."

"Have a good night, Lara," Zip said, grinning devilishly.

Lara rolled her eyes and closed the screen down. _Zip and Alister had a longer conversation with Kurtis than I did,_ she thought. _If that's not irony, I don't know what is._ She removed her gloves and tossed them on the dresser, feeling a desperate need for fresh air. She stepped outside on the balcony, overlooking the Central American coast. It really was quite beautiful, and surprisingly enough, she'd never been here. She'd trekked the world, but not much of Southern Mexico.

She heard footsteps approaching, and felt a strange dread in her heart and soul. Kurtis leaned against the railing next to her, taking in the scene, but speaking no words, only adding to the awkward moment. Lara knew she should say something, but what? _Where have you been all this time? I've missed you. What do you know about the Fountain? How did you get the Chirugai?_ Nothing seemed adequate, though.

"So you found a notebook?" Kurtis spoke up.

_Great conversation-starter,_ Lara thought, disgusted. "Yes," was all she said. "In a Taino cave in Exuma."

"Interesting," he commented.

"Almost as interesting as this conversation," she said dryly.

A silent moment, then Kurtis spoke. "I should've come back sooner."

"I don't expect anything from you," Lara said simply. "I was just commenting on the present."

"You deserve an explanation," Kurtis argued. "I wanted to come back sooner. I really did. I figured you'd be upset…"

"Why would I be upset?" Lara asked. "I'd assumed you were dead, at least."

"And at most?" Kurtis asked.

Lara sighed in her mind. "I'm not sure. You had other demands."

"I needed to go to Utah to see my family, or what was left of them," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "They needed to know that the Cabal had been defeated."

Lara was puzzled. "And it kept you for two years?"

Kurtis stared down at the water for a moment, then looked out in the distance. "Karel…he didn't die."

"What?" Lara asked quickly, her stomach dropping.

"He followed me into Salt Lake City…and he killed the rest of my family to provoke me."

"How did he survive?" Lara queried.

"I'm not sure," he said. "But he did." He looked down. "I took care of him," he said, in a low and evil voice. "But there was nothing left for me." He looked up and at Lara, who caught his gaze and felt a fleeting mixture of intrigue, confusion, and curiosity. "Nothing except for you," he said.

Lara held her gaze with him, seeing the world in his eyes. What was left of the world, anyway. She was angry and ecstatic, delighted and disgusted. _You think you can just walk back into my life and tell me these things?_ she wanted to scream. _Stop jerking me around!_ But the better side of her knew that wasn't what he was doing – he was confessing emotions he'd kept pent up in the past two years. The least she could do was counter such an act – but she was too afraid, and her bones began to shake as he reached a hand up to her face and stroked her cheek. She wanted to close her eyes and succumb to his touch, but she knew she couldn't be so vulnerable. Instead, she drew away, gazing back into the ocean. Immediately upon doing so, though, she regretted it, cursing at herself in her mind.

"What do you know about the Fountain?" she asked, hating herself for drawing away from the subject. It was too early for these emotions to be released. _Let's stick to business, _she said to herself. She knew that the minute she asked the question, Kurtis was cursing her in his mind as well. He had subtly released his feelings for her, or the beginnings of them, and she'd turned away from him. She was ashamed, but fought to push it away.

"Probably as much as you do," Kurtis said. "But maybe a little more."

She looked up at him. "Such as?"

"The reason as to why Rutland has attained psychic powers," he said. "The Fountain of Exuma isn't the Fountain of Youth. It's the Fountain of Retribution."

"What are you saying?" Lara asked cautiously.

"I'm sure you know a thing or two about Taino religion…?"

"Of course," she said. "Their devotion to the nature gods…"

"The Fountain of Retribution was made as punishment for those who disrespected their gods. Instead of gaining immortality by choice, they were thrown into the pond to exist as immortals with spiritual punishment – banishment from the realm of the gods, otherwise known as psychic capacity."

"Why would that be considered retribution? You'd think the Taino would value such skill."

"Apparently not," Kurtis said. "Magic was only possessed by their gods – natural born gods. People who attained such powers after birth were seen as evil beings, or outcasts. Times have obviously changed since then…"

"Then what about the Fountain of Youth?" Lara asked. "Is it its angelic twin?"

"Physical and spiritual holiness was desperately sought by the Taino," he said. "To obtain it meant that they deserved it because they were permitted to bathe in the springs."

"Permitted by whom?"

"Their elders who were said to be appointed by their gods," Kurtis explained. "After quests for knowledge and wisdom, one would be rewarded with the opportunity to bathe in the Fountain of Youth. Legend holds that the Fountain either provided immortality or rejuvenation, but that's for us to figure out."

"That's what you meant by physical and spiritual holiness," Lara mused aloud, "at least from the Taino perspective." Lara looked away, thinking over these new facts. "But the Chirugai is the only thing that can kill an immortal…?"

"Yes," Kurtis said. "And it bears the map to the Fountain of Youth."

"Can the Fountain of Youth reverse the effects of the Fountain of Retribution?"

"Yes, and that's exactly why Rutland is looking for it. My guess, anyway."

"No, not Rutland. He hasn't changed, and knowing that, he wouldn't want to relinquish such abilities."

"Then what could he be looking for…?" Kurtis pondered aloud.

"The notebook might help," Lara said, turning inside the room. Kurtis followed after her as she reached for the notebook in her backpack. "I found this in the cave," she said. "It belonged to one of the sailors on the ship from Columbus's first voyage. He'd been threatened and banished by the Taino people after the rest of his comrades had pillaged the natives' village and people. When Zip and Alister get here, they're going to analyze their findings from it and see if they can't find anything about either of the Fountains."

"Wishful thinking," Kurtis commented. "But we'll have to see."

"So is that an implication that you're actually going to stick around?" Lara asked, a bit hurt.

Kurtis gazed at her, equally hurt. She didn't mean to hurt him. She was only trying to get him to realize she wanted him to actually stick around this time. Lara realized she wasn't very good at communicating feelings. He played it off, just as he had on the balcony, drawing a cigarette from his pack, and stepping outside into the barely lit sky.

Lara sighed to herself. Why did this have to be so hard? She knew she was in the wrong, but she wasn't going to apologize. She knew she should, but she couldn't. She sighed again, stepping outside on the balcony with him. She put a hand on his shoulder, dropping her head. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "It's just been hard, not knowing what's become of you…"

He faced her. "I know, and I'm sorry. I would've come back sooner, but…"

"I know," she said, not allowing him to finish.

She met his gaze, feeling those anxious emotions coming back. Something in his eyes stirred emotions in her that she both feared and desired. "I want to know," he said slowly. "Does this go beyond just wanting to know if I was alive?"

Lara searched his eyes, then looked down fearfully. "Perhaps…" she said slowly, "we should just stick to business for now. It's too soon to go so fast." She knew that that declaration alone implied feelings for him, anyway. She wanted to pretend otherwise, though. And, strike three, she'd hurt him yet again. _You're so cowardly,_ she scolded herself. She ignored the realism behind the claim and turned away from him, for the third time. She needed to get out of his presence so she could think things over. "I'll take the other room for tonight," she declared, refusing to make eye contact with him. "I'll see you in the morning." She took her backpack, notebook, and other items into the opposite room and closed the door between the rooms, not sure if she felt relieved to be away from him…or even more confused.

* * *

  
**Well, there you have it. Kurtis is back with more answers about the Chirugai and the Fountain. How the hell did he get it back, though? You know, Kurtis is just badass...we shouldn't even question :) **


	8. The First Night

**Hello everyone. I'm trying to space out the days that I post chapters because you're catching up with me! =D No worries...I can pretty much see the story to its end, so I won't bail on you guys, I PROMISE!!**

**Here's a little bit of T-rated love for Lara and Kurtis...enjoy! Also more explanation on Andrea's past and her relationship with Rutland. Read on!  
**

* * *

Lara sighed as she rolled over on her side. She glanced at the clock – it was two in the morning. _Bugger,_ she thought. She couldn't sleep – not with so many thoughts and emotions flowing through her, and not with Kurtis just in the other room. This was what she'd longed for for so long – why was she pushing it away?

She sat up in the bed, warmed by the thin blanket over her body. At least the temperature was moderate in Honduras this time of year. Were they safe here, though? Would Rutland and his goons somehow show up and find them? How would they even know where to look? If Rutland brushed up on his history, he'd know that the Taino had asserted the Fountain to be in Honduras…would he go far enough to find out?

Thinking these things made her not feel safe. She sighed, feeling under her pillow. Where was her knife? _Oh, that's right. I left it in the other room._ She sighed again, knowing she wouldn't sleep safely without it. She got out of bed and approached the door, opening it as quietly as she could. She tiptoed around the bed to the table where she'd left the switchblade. She quickly gripped it, then glanced over at Kurtis. He was asleep on his stomach, shirtless, with brown tendrils of hair falling over his hidden blue eyes. _God, he's so gorgeous,_ she thought, as if she were a young schoolgirl.

She saw the Chirugai laid right next to where her switchblade had been. She glanced down at it for a moment, then tenderly touched it, as if it were Kurtis's heart and soul. Suddenly, she felt a knife at her throat. She startled, glad her switchblade was in her own hand.

"What are you…Lara?" Kurtis asked. She relaxed when she realized it was only him. He exhaled relief and removed the blade from her throat. "I'm sorry," he muttered. He seated himself on the edge of the bed. "I don't sleep well anymore. Not after the Strahov, and Karel, and everything else."

Lara turned to face him. "I understand," she said. "I have nightmares, too – about a lot of things."

He looked up at her. "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"I left my switchblade," she said. "I'm sorry I woke you." She walked back towards her room and opened the door, feeling embarrassed and confused all at once.

"Lara…" Kurtis breathed. She stopped with the door halfway open. She heard him rise and approach her, but she was faced away and couldn't read his face to see what he was thinking. She saw his hand reach out and push the door closed. Lara didn't know what to do. _Be realistic, or follow my heart…?_ she thought. For once, she decided following her heart might not be so bad. She turned around and faced him, gazing up into his eyes. He reached a hand up and stroked her chin, tilting her face up towards his. "Why are we beating around this?"

"This…?" she asked, wanting to hear it from him before she made herself entirely vulnerable.

"These feelings we have for each other," he said. Lara stared into his striking blue eyes, both fearful and infatuated. He slowly drew closer to her, his lips tenderly brushing hers. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes for a reaction. Then, she reached around his neck and pulled his mouth to hers, kissing him passionately. She forced her tongue into his mouth, kissing him with ferocity, as if she weren't even controlling her own body. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body into his. She responded equally, wrapping her arms around his muscular biceps, feeling the pulsating warmth of his skin. The naked flesh against her own only increased her impulse, and she found her feelings taking over…for once in her life.

She leaned into him, shoving him back into the wall, afraid that these unexplored feelings would eat her alive. Beneath the intimacy, she still felt the need for dominance, although she knew Kurtis felt the same need within himself. He lifted her up and walked towards the bed, toppling over her, suspending himself by the strength in his arms. He trailed the kisses down from her mouth to her throat and neck, then to her chest, nipping at the flesh of her collarbone.

Lara reveled in the intimate moment, feeling that this was what she'd longed for all along – his touch and warmth engulfing her. Then, with sudden realization, she panicked, realizing what she was doing. Why had she suddenly become so reckless and uncontrolled? She didn't do things like this – no matter how closely she wanted to be to this man. As he tenderly pushed down the strap of her tanktop and bra, revealing her entire shoulder, she pulled away and sat up, edging her way off the bed. "I-I need to go to bed," she said quickly. "Zip and Alister will be here at ten. We should get some sleep."

She heard him sigh, likely out of frustration with her sociopathic inability to show her feelings. Then, he stood up, approached the door, turned the doorknob, and opened it, gesturing for her to go. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him. Instead, she returned to her room and fell across her bed, emotions running through her in a marathon. Oh, how she wanted to keep kissing him. How she wanted to let him take her over. How she wanted him to touch her. She wanted all of him – but she was too afraid. She was afraid of getting hurt.

Lara shoved her switchblade under her pillow, hoping sleep would overtake her sooner than later.

* * *

  
The moonlight sparkled off the crystal pond waters, and the trees elicited a tropical smell of dew at four a.m. Andrea pushed her way through the trees and branches to reach the healing springs. The last time she'd been here, she'd been forced into the water, and had come out trembling and weak, sure she was dying. Her cancer had been cured, to say the least, but she'd been bestowed with unusual psychic powers…not exactly the "healing" she'd been hoping for.

Andrea sighed, taking in the bittersweet scene. It was quiet, scenic, and beautiful, but horrendous as she recalled the memories of her near-death experience with Rutland and his mercenaries. She leaned down by the waters and dipped her hand in, letting it spill between her fingers. Rutland had been here – she could feel it. But where was he now? She was alone here. The only way she'd gotten here was by hitching a ride on a ferry departing from the English Channel to the Bahamas. She'd been lucky to find it, and even luckier to not get caught on board the freighter. She had unfinished business with both Rutland and Lara, and she wasn't going anywhere until things were settled.

Andrea removed the water bottle from her backpack, dumping its contents into the dirt nearby. As soon as she did so, the liquid evaporated. Nothing startling to her – she was used to seeing weird things like this, being immortal and psychic and all. She dunked the empty bottle into the springs, letting it fill with the liquid until it was full. Then, she twisted the cap on and put it back in her backpack. She pulled it over her shoulder and gazed over the waters. _Why did it have to be like this…? _she thought. _Rutland could've been…_could've been what? Her friend? Her mentor? Her guardian? Her _what_?

She didn't even know. She just knew that she'd put too much trust in him. The worst part of it was that somewhere, deep inside of her, she still _did_ trust him. But why? Because he'd taken care of her (loosely defined) for a while, and been good to her parents? Because he'd spared her life (not that he could've taken it anyway)? Because…?

Andrea sighed, trying to block it out of her mind. She needed to find a place to sleep. She was tired. She turned away from the pond, nearly screaming in fear at the sight of people standing before her. Three black human figures stood, two holding guns, and the person in the middle folding his arms over his chest. "Hello, Andy," the man said.

It was Rutland, and two of his goons. "What do you want?" she asked defensively.

"Did you consider my offer?" he asked. "I'm not going to wait around forever."

"I've been a little busy," she snapped, "trying to get around without being noticed."

"Yeah, it can be a little difficult sometimes. Take it from me." He walked towards Andrea, and for a moment, she panicked. She wouldn't show him fear though, and she stood her ground, keeping her glare on him the entire time. He stood over the water's edge, gazing over, as if taking in the scenery. Andrea glanced at the men with the guns. _Why are they here?_ she thought. Then, she looked back at Rutland. "What do you want?" she repeated. "I don't know where Lara is, if that's what you're wondering."

"I'm not worried about Lara right now," he said. "I was actually looking for you."

"What?" Andrea asked. "Now you want to be friends?"

"What is it you want, Andy?" Rutland asked, facing her. "You want to be healed? You want to be free of the sickness for good? You want me to get rid of the 'psychic ailments', as you call them?" He approached her, and for a moment, she became afraid. This man that could either make or break her intimidated her more than anything. She looked down as he towered over her, trying to stare into her eyes. "You want a place to call home?"

Andrea looked up, strangely not hesitant. "What does any of it matter to you?"

"I made your father a promise, and I'm going to keep it," he said flatly. "I told him I'd make you better and that I'd take care of you."

Andrea walked away from him, disgusted. "It doesn't matter now," she said. "He's dead. You can do whatever you want, and it won't matter."

"Andy," he sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Andy, Andy, Andy…" Finally, she summoned the courage to look into his eyes. "I need you to do something for me. It's very important. Do it…and I'll make you better. I'll give you a place to call home."

Andrea stared into his eyes, afraid that he was either bluffing, or he had something entirely evil and manipulative on his mind.

* * *

_  
Andrea waited nervously, dressed in the best clothes she had, which wasn't much. Her parents didn't have a lot of money, so "luxury clothing" wasn't an option for her. She didn't understand why she needed to be so dressed up anyway. This James Rutland guy was going to help her regardless of how she was dressed. _

_From the way her parents made it sound, he was quite a good person for taking her in and offering to cover all of her expenses – they made it clear that they didn't deserve such a blessing, but he had been more than willing to help a friend of the family. _

_Susan and Henry stood at Andrea's side, almost as uneasy as she was. Susana drew in a deep, nervous breath, straightening out Andrea's clothes and smoothing out her hair. "Alright, Andy, you need to listen to me," she said, serious. "Mr. Rutland is a very nice man, but he is also very powerful. You need to be on your absolute best behavior around him. Use your manners – 'please' and 'thank you' – don't speak too much, don't ask a lot of questions, and don't get into business that doesn't concern you. Anything he does for you, from buying you a meal to paying for your taxi fare, you need to show your entire appreciation to him. For the next few months, he is your guardian, and you must obey him."_

"_Few months?" Andrea asked nervously. "I thought it was only going to be a few weeks…?"_

"_Honey, they need to do a lot of research," Susana responded bitterly. "You're going to have to be strong while you're away from home." Even as she spoke, Andrea could see the tears coming to her eyes._

"_I don't want to be gone so long," Andrea said quietly. "Can't you guys come, too?"_

_Susana stood up, turning away from Andrea, probably so she wouldn't see her cry. It was now Henry's turn to console his daughter. He reached into his pocket and removed a small, red box. "We got this for you, Andy," he said quietly. He opened it up and revealed a beautiful, golden heart locket. Andrea gasped in awe – how did they afford this? It must've been worth a lot of money! Henry pulled it out of the box and opened it up, revealing the picture of her, her mother, and her father on the left side and the phrase "Love you forever" on the right side._

"_Dad, where'd you get this?" she asked timidly._

"_It doesn't matter," he said, unlocking it to string around her neck. "Just remember this: as long as you have it with you, you'll have us with you, too."Andrea stared into his eyes, feeling anxiety set in her stomach. Her parents made it seem like she was never coming back – like she was being sold away. They also made this Rutland guy seem like a fifty-foot tall giant with laser beams for eyes – was he really that bad? The bigger of a deal they made this, though, the more nervous she got, until she barely noticed the helicopter flying over the mountain range from the west._

"_They're here," Susana spoke up, her voice shaky._

_Henry pulled Andrea in for a long, deep hug. He didn't want to let her see him cry, so he pulled away and stepped back, the helicopter landing on the big patch of green grass. Andrea felt her knees go weak as the chopper landed and turned off its propellers. The door opened, and out stepped a tall brunette man and three other men at his side. The man had an easy-going grin on his face as he approached her parents, shaking their hands. "Henry! Good to see you again!"_

"_Likewise, James," Henry said, trying to match his easiness, no matter how hard it was. He placed his hands on Andrea's shoulders. "This is my daughter, Andrea."_

_Rutland extended a hand. "Nice to meet you, kid," he said. He shook her hand, noticing how tense she was. "Don't look so nervous!" he protested. "I won't bite."_

"_She's never been so far from home before," Susan pointed out sadly._

"_Well, we'll take good care of her," Rutland assured her. "We're going straight to Florida, not stopping for anything, and I'll let you guys know when we get there."_

"_We appreciate it," Henry said. "Again, thank you so much for this, Mr. Rutland."_

"_Mr. Rutland is my father," the man said humorously. "James is fine!"_

"_Sorry," Henry apologized embarrassingly._

"_And don't sweat it," he said. "I was heading into the southeast for research anyway. This isn't a bump in the road or anything."_

"_Mr. Rutland, you'll be late for your appointment if we don't leave now," one of the men said quietly, leaning over his shoulder._

"_Ah, of course," he said. "Well, we need to get going…"_

_Henry and Susana faced their daughter, each exchanging one final embrace with her. "Be good," her mother whispered. Rutland gestured towards the helicopter, and Andrea headed in its direction, suitcase in hand, refusing to look back. She stepped inside, the three men following, and finally Rutland. He closed the door as the engine whirred to life. "Let's get out of here," Rutland said to the pilot. "Straight to Florida!"_

_The pilot lifted the chopper off the ground as Andrea buckled herself in on the side close to the far window. She stared down at her parents, gripping the locket at hand as their outlines became even more distant with each foot that the chopper climbed in the air. She felt tears coming to her eyes, but the last thing she wanted was Rutland to see her cry. She closed her eyes, drawing in a silent, deep breath, then opened her eyes again, telling herself, _I'll be back home soon.

"_Do you like ice cream?" Rutland asked._

_Andrea looked up, realizing he was talking to her. "Yeah," she said slowly._

_He opened up an ice chest next to his seat and tossed her a pint of cookie-dough ice cream. "Have at it," he urged her._

_She peeled the wooden spoon away slowly. "Thank you," she said quietly._

"_So how old are you, Andrea?" Rutland asked, opening a beer._

"_I'm fourteen," she said._

"_I don't have much experience with kids," Rutland pointed out, "so forgive me if I seem a little standoffish."_

_Andrea shrugged. "It's alright," she said._

"_I promise you that once we get to Tampa, everything will be taken care of. These doctors are some of the best in the country – they know what they're doing."_

"_Where exactly are we going?" Andrea asked slowly._

"_I have a condo in Miami," he said. "We'll be staying there. On the days you're needed in Tampa, I'll have Mike, my pilot right here, fly you in. It'll only be a two-hour flight."_

"_You have a condo?" she asked, surprised. Andrea imagined condos to be huge, with maids and butlers and lots of junk food and video games and television. "Wow…"_

"_It's not much," he shrugged. "But it'll be fine for you." His cell phone began to ring, and he answered it promptly. "This is Rutland," he said. He listened for a moment. "Alright, repeat those coordinates to me…29 degrees 56, 46 latitude, and negative 81 degrees, 20, 14 longitude. Thanks, I'll relay it to Mike."_

* * *

  
Lara awakened at nine a.m. to the sound of footsteps outside the door. _Bloody tourists,_ she thought, as if she wasn't one of them. At least she didn't make so much noise. She sat up in bed, yawning as she stretched and approached the window. She opened the curtains to a view of sun and ocean. _How beautiful, _she thought.

She heard a knock on her door, and turned to open it, facing Kurtis. If she'd felt awkward the day before, it was nothing compared to this. She had been so entirely stupid to pull away from him in his moment of vulnerability, revealing to her his own feelings for her. She couldn't even bother to do the same, no matter how much she wanted to. She knew he had been upset, irritated even, with how she'd reacted. Why didn't she just stay, and let him kiss her? Why did she have to be so aversive to her true feelings?

"Good morning," she greeted him quietly.

"Hey," he returned. "Just making sure you're up, with your friends coming in an hour and all."

"Well, thank you," she said. He offered a weak smile as a "you're welcome" and turned away back into his room, leaving the adjoining door open. Lara sighed to herself. _He's not happy with me, and he has every right to feel that way,_ she thought. She needed a shower. The warm water would help her think things over clearly.

Lara stepped into the running water, letting it cascade of her skin and clear her mind. She knew that tonight, she would have to give up her room to Zip and Alister to conduct research in. That meant she would be sharing the other room with Kurtis, only adding to the feelings of awkwardness. _Fan-bloody-tastic,_ she murmured in her mind.

Perhaps the thought that weighed the most on her mind was the fear that if he tried to kiss her or touch her again, she wouldn't be able to refuse him – that was by the far the scariest thing she could imagine. Being so vulnerable was dangerous, no matter how much she felt she could trust Kurtis.

But seeing him standing just a few feet away from her, so vivid and real, sent a chill up her spine – was it a good chill? Was it the kind of chill that would elicit shivers in her entire being as soon as his fingers and lips touched her bare skin, because it was so overwhelming to have him so close to her?

_Wishful thinking,_ she thought. _If I keep pushing him away, none of this will happen anyway._ _But let's think of this as one unit…_what did she really want? _I want him,_ she told herself simply. That fact was clear – the feelings surrounding it were what clouded her judgments.

Lara stepped out of the shower, drying off and dressing. She knew what she needed to do – she needed to be strong and honest, and confess her feelings to him. _I'll do it tonight,_ she thought with cowardice. _Things always seem to be easier in the dark._ Until then, she would try to be casual, talking only of business and the weather.

"This hotel has a spectacular view," she commented absent-mindedly.

"Yeah, it does," he replied dryly. He opened the glass door and stepped onto the balcony, out of her presence. Lara sighed to herself, knowing that if she waited until tonight, things could get messy. She needed to at least give him _some_ hope, some intuition into her mind so he knew she actually did have feelings for him.

She stepped quietly onto the balcony. "Kurtis…" she began quietly. He glanced her way, but said and did nothing else. She sighed, turning him to face her so she could have his full attention. She looked up into his eyes, nerves taking over. "About last night…"

"You don't have to explain," he said. "I understand."

"No, you don't," she shook her head negatively. She stared deeply into his eyes. _Bloody hell. Here it goes._ She leaned towards his mouth, their lips brushing, and she felt shock take over her body, as if it knew this was right, yet it knew it was dangerous. She wished she wouldn't have left him the previous night – but what would've happened?

As soon as their lips met, however, a knock came to the door. Lara sighed deeply in her mind, but merely closed her eyes in annoyance. She couldn't bring herself to look up at Kurtis. Instead, she pulled away. "I'll get the door," she said quietly.

* * *

**Dammit, Alister and Zip! They were about to kiss!! Haha. Okay R&R please! I'm pretty sure you guys will like Chapter 9...and even more Chapter 10. Stay tuned!! =D**


	9. Reunion

**Chapter nine for you guys! Thank you for the continuing reviews, especially to Rick and OveractiveImaginer. You two are creating my fan base! :)**

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Lara knew she should've been happy to see her friends, but the interruption of the moment between her and Kurtis only caused irritation. She opened the door to her comrades, Alister carrying a briefcase (likely full of research) and Zip carrying a saddlebag on each shoulder (likely full of technological instruments).

"Morning, Lara," Alister greeted her. "You're looking especially…cheery…today."

Lara ignored him, gesturing them inside. "Zip, Alister…this is Kurtis." The three men exchanged greetings, as well as admiration over the fact that Kurtis was _the_ Lux Veritatis warrior.

The boys settled into Lara's former room, Zip immediately hooking up all of his computers and speakers and such. "Not a second late, I see," Lara mumbled to them.

"Never," Zip said. "What do you expect from studs like us?" Normally, Lara would joke along with him – given the circumstances, however, she wasn't in such a light mood. "Get everything hooked up. We have a lot to discuss."

Lara returned to Kurtis's room, offering a weak smile in apology for the interruption. "Zip and Alister will be ready in a few minutes. They'll need to analyze the Chirugai, if you don't mind."

Kurtis picked it up from the table and tossed it to Lara, who caught it briskly. "How did you manage to get it anyway?"

"Rutland doesn't know what he's doing," Kurtis scoffed. "He doesn't respect his psychic powers, so he doesn't understand how complicated it really is to control the Chirugai."

"So it wasn't difficult to get it back when he sent it after me into the jungle so carelessly?" she grinned.

"Not at all," Kurtis said, returning the grin.

"We're online, Lara!" Zip said from the other room. Kurtis and Lara entered the room, glimpsing the miniature television and computer screens strewn about the table and the bed. Alister had set up his own camp on the other table, books in stacks along the corner, notebooks scattered over the table top, and papers pinned on the wall with miscellaneous notes. "You were only in here for five minutes," Lara speculated, "and you already managed to tear up the room."

"You told us to make ourselves at home," Alister said, turning around in his chair.

"I don't recall saying that," Lara commented.

"Well, we did anyways," Zip said. "So where's the notebook?"

Lara handed him the notebook after retrieving it from her backpack. "Be careful with it," she warned nervously. Zip took hold of it, opening it up with careful hands. "This is amazing," he commented. "It'll take several hours to extract the writings from it," he said slowly. He sighed, closing it up. "I'll do it while you two are out and about."

"What about this?" Lara asked, setting the Chirugai on the desk.

"What about it?" Zip asked. "Kurtis said it himself – he doesn't know how to get the map off of it. It's like trying to jump on a train when it's going eighty miles an hour down the track."

"There must be something…" Lara mused.

"Is there _anything_ you haven't tried doing to stop it?" Alister asked, leaning over the chair again.

"Believe me," Kurtis reasoned, "I've tried everything. It nearly took my hand off on several occasions."

Lara sat down on the bed, sighing. This was the first time in a long time where she'd been really stuck. It was like trying to find a key to unlock a door, but realizing the key was on the _other_ side of the locked door – what could they do now? _There has to be something,_ she told herself.

Then, a knock came to the door. Lara glanced at it strangely, then back at her comrades, as if asking them if they'd invited some other guest to tag along. Both Zip and Alister shrugged. Kurtis took the Chirugai and clipped it onto his belt for precaution. Lara withdrew a pistol from her holsters on the table, hiding it behind her back as she approached the eyehole. She looked through it, but saw nothing. She opened the door, drawing in a deep breath, and looked out to see – Andrea?

Lara closed it again, unlocking the chain, then opened the door to see the girl in full view. "Andrea?" she asked. "What are you doing here? How'd you find us?"

"I saw Zip and Alister with all their stuff," she said, not meeting Lara's eye contact.

"But _what_ are you doing here?" Lara asked.

"I did some research," she said. "Just like you guys did. You know how you said the Arawaks thought that the Fountain was really in Honduras?"

"Yes…" Lara said slowly.

"I figured that would be where you went." Lara was still suspicious. How convenient that this girl had found them. Did that mean Rutland had sent her, and he knew exactly where they were? Lara stood in place for a moment, then stepped away, gesturing for Andrea to enter. Andrea timidly stepped inside, noticing a new member of the group. "Who's he?" she said of Kurtis.

"This is my friend, Kurtis Trent," Lara said. "The Chirugai belongs to him," she said slowly, making sure Andrea knew that if she tried to steal it this time, it would be the last time. Andrea merely nodded, refusing to make eye contact. _Either she is up to something, or she is just very nervous in social situations,_ Lara thought. "And this is Andrea," she finished. Kurtis nodded, as if to greet her. Lara folded her arms over her chest, facing the girl. "Now, do you mind telling me why you're here?"

"Lara…" Zip sighed, as if telling her not to be so hard on the kid.

"Forgive me if I'm a bit reluctant to let her in here," Lara snapped.

"I want to help," Andrea blurted out. "I…"

"And what about Rutland?" Lara asked.

She shrugged. "I haven't seen him. And it doesn't matter anyway. I swear though, Lara…if I'd have remembered what he'd said to me, I never would've stolen the Chirugai anyway."

Lara eyed her suspiciously. "Why should I believe you?"

Finally, Andrea met her gaze. "I know how to read the map on the Chirugai."

"You _what_?" Alister asked, turning around abruptly.

"You're a Lux Veritatis, right?" she asked Kurtis.

"Yeah…?" he said slowly.

"If we work together, we might be able to get the map off of it," she said. "It's worth a shot…"

"What do you suggest?" he asked.

"If one of us can still the weapon, the other can keep it from letting out the psychic energy," she offered. Then, she shrugged. "It's worth a shot," she repeated.

Kurtis glanced at Lara, who sighed. "I don't see why not," she said. Kurtis sighed as well, removing the Chirugai from his belt. "Alister, be ready to take notes," Lara warned him. Kurtis hesitated before activating the Chirugai. "It's going to take a lot of energy," Kurtis warned Andrea. "Can you handle it?"

Andrea shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm immortal. It doesn't matter anyway." Kurtis made a face as if to say, _On your head, be it_, and held the Chirugai in the air, levitating it with his powers. The orange glow began to emit, and everyone in the room kept their distance. The disk spun quickly, like a fan with sharp blades. "Whenever you're ready," Kurtis prompted.

Andrea drew in a deep breath. Then, she slowly reached her hands up, her fingers twitching as she elicited her own powers. Her face winced as she felt the psychic energy being squeezed from her inside-out. Kurtis felt it too, but was reluctant to show any sign of pain. After a few moments, the disk began to slow, and the glow reduced. However, the more these things happened, the more the pain increased. Andrea groaned in pain, her knees shaking. "Stay with me," Kurtis said, closing his eyes to fight off the pain.

"Come on…" Alister breathed. "A few more seconds…" The disk had almost stopped completely, and the glow was almost gone. Then, Andrea fell to the floor, exhausted, just as a blinding white light emitted from the Chirugai. Everyone in the room shielded their eyes, but when they opened them, the light had reduced, and ancient glyphs and markings bounced about the wall, projected from some strange energy of the Chirugai.

"My God…" Alister breathed. "This is remarkable." Kurtis dropped his hands, glancing about the room in awe. "I haven't seen these markings since…"

Lara knew what he wanted to say…_since my father was alive._ She placed a compassionate hand on his shoulder, offering a weak smile, then turned to face the markings projected around the room in a three-hundred-sixty-degree angle. "These are beautiful," she said, approaching a marking in the wall to touch its invisible presence.

Alister began to jot down the markings as quickly as possible into his notebook. "Can you read them?" he asked Kurtis absent-mindedly. Kurtis approached the invisible markings, looking them over. He read them quietly in his head, then stepped back. "The philosopher's stone," was all he said.

"What?" Lara asked.

"It says we must find the philosopher' stone," he repeated.

"I found the philosopher's stone several years ago," Lara said. "In Rome."

"Not the same one," Kurtis argued. "This one is somewhere in Yucatán, Mexico, in the Mayan ruins."

"How are the Mayans and the Taino related?" Zip queried.

"Archaeologists have reached several conclusions that the Mayans and Taino were similar in many ways of their cultures," Lara offered. "It's been suggested that in the late 1200s, trade went on between the two tribes. Perhaps they'd traded the stone as well."

"But why?" Alister asked, not looking up from his scribbling. "How does the stone relate to the Fountain?" As soon as he spoke, the light retracted in a quick instant from the Chirugai, and the markings disappeared. "Bugger!" Alister shouted. "I was right in the middle of –"

"Let me see what you have so far," Kurtis interrupted, approaching him.

Lara approached Andrea's side, helping the weary child sit up. "You did well," she soothed her. "Why don't you rest in the other room?"

"Thanks, Lara," she said tiredly. Lara helped her into the other room, as Kurtis began to read through Alister's notes. He mused over it, making faces of confusion, understanding, and bewilderment.

"Here it is," Kurtis pointed out as Lara returned to the room. "The stone is supposed to be brought back to the Lost Temple."

"The Lost Temple!" Alister exclaimed. "Yes, the Taino had one main temple where they would enact their religious practices. It was lost in the late 1200s, though, probably after the Spanish came and ambushed the villages. Its original name is a mystery, however, lost with the civilization itself…"

"But temples don't just disappear," Zip said. "So where could it have gone?"

"I haven't reached that answer, yet," Alister said.

"And still, how does it relate to the Fountain?" Zip continued.

"I bloody don't know!" Alister said, frustrated.

"Well, we're going to find out," Lara said. "Kurtis and I are going to go to Yucatán and look for the stone, then perhaps we'll find some answers. You two need to stay here and analyze your findings from the notebook."

"And the child?" Alister asked nervously.

"Just keep an eye on her," Lara said. "She should be fine – just make sure she doesn't disappear again. I don't want her running off with such knowledge."

Zip sighed. "Babysitting duty."

"Would you prefer to go trekking into the jungles of Mexico for an itty-bitty stone that you have no leads as to where it is?"

"Well…" Zip said slowly.

"We're going," Lara said. "We'll call you when we get there. It'll be a two-hour flight."

"Do take care of yourselves, then," Alister sighed. "We'll get some more information on where in Yucatán the stone could be."

"That would be smashing," Lara said. "Keep in touch."

* * *

**I know, it was another short one...but chapter 10 is probably the longest one yet so bear with me. You guys will love it anyway!! :)**


	10. In Yucatán

**Hello, hello. As promised, Chapter 10! The longest one yet! There is a looot more research, some real, some fabricated. It was fun writing this chapter. More research, more revelations, and more fluff!! Things heating up...a little bit!! Enjoy! =D**

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Lara and Kurtis arrived in Quintana Roo on the Yucatán Peninsula later that afternoon by ferry, and then headed west into Yucatán via Ducati motorbike, each on their own. _There's nothing I love more than an off-road jungle ride on a Ducati,_ Lara thought peacefully. _Not too fond of the humidity, though._

Since the night before, they had hardly spoken – nothing outside of business. _Be careful what you wish for,_ Lara told herself. She _had_ been insisting that they only keep business between themselves for now, and nothing of feelings or the like. Now, though, after that fiery kiss the night before, she knew that the more distance put between them would only make things worse. She knew she needed to talk to him about it, but now was certainly not the time. They needed to get into Yucatán and find the Philosopher's Stone – wherever it was.

"Did the notes say anything about the Stone's location?" Lara asked Kurtis, practically shouting.

"No," he returned. "We know where to take it, but we don't know where it is."

"They said it's somewhere in the Mayan ruins," she said, "but Yucatán is the site of several Mayan ruins."

"Then we'll go to all of them," Kurtis said flatly. "Turn over all the stones."

Then, Lara's headset began to beep, indicating that she was receiving a call. She stopped the bike on the dirt path, the Mexico sun beginning to set in the distance. Kurtis stopped as well, switching off his engine. Lara activating the call. "What is it?" she asked, assuming it would be either Zip or Alister or both.

"How's the traveling going?" Alister asked cheerily.

"Brilliant," she commented. "What do you need, Alister?"

"Well, I did further research into the glyphs," he said. "I think you'd like to hear a thing or two…"

"Yes, I'd be delighted. Do go on."

"Kurtis should probably hear it too." Lara sighed, and connected the headset to a small, portable camera she had, which projected video and audio so that both she and Kurtis could see Alister and hear him as well. "You're live," Lara commented dryly. "Now get on with it."

"So I looked further into the Lux Veritatis markings," Alister repeated, "and after analyzing them for the past two hours, I came across a single glyph that acted as the pathway to my discovery."

"Yes…?" Lara asked.

Alister retrieved a paper and held it up in the camera, displaying one of the Lux Veritatis glyphs in view for Lara and Kurtis. "Notice anything about this one, Kurtis?"

Kurtis studied it for a minute. "It doesn't look like a standard glyph."

"That's exactly right," Alister said, pulling the paper out of view. "I, being an expert in the study of glyphs and ancient writings, noticed that as well. Do you recognize where it could have come from?"

"Enough quizzing, Alister," Lara chided. "Get on with it."

"Tough crowd," he muttered. He sighed. "It's a Mayan hieroglyphic merged with a Lux Veritatis glyph. When I deciphered the logogram, it broke off into two separate glyphs, or two separate words. The first word is 'Uc' and the second is 'Abnal'."

"Yucatecán Mayan language," Lara mused. "But what does it mean?"

"Have you ever heard of the books of Chilam Balam?"

"Yes," Lara replied. "Texts written in the Yucatecán Mayan language by the priest, Balam. Some of the text was written as prophecies, other parts were written on custom, and –"

"And another part is about the Mayan architecture scattered about Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and all the other Central American locations where the Mayan sites are located."

"Uc Abnal," Lara repeated. "It sounds familiar enough…"

"As well it should," Alister said. "It was the name given to the city of Chichén Itzá before the Itzá came to Yucatán from Guatemala."

"If that's the case, then the Lux Veritatis must be older than we think. They were obviously around before the Itzá came into play in the 1300s," Lara said.

"Right about the same time, actually," Alister corrected her.

"Chichén Itzá," Lara repeated. "Right under our nose."

"Exactly," Alister commented. "I thought you'd be happy to hear it."

"Absolutely," Lara said. "At least we've narrowed it down to that. Where are we supposed to go from there?"

"We wouldn't know where to go," Zip said, coming into view, "had it not been for the notebook."

"Ah, you finished analyzing it, then?"

"Most of it," Zip said. "The guy talks a lot about the Fountain of Youth, how the Taino had told the Spanish stories about it when they were still 'guests' on the island – you know, prior to the pillaging and all. Anyway, he mentions how the Taino told them old stories and myths about the 'Piedra del Aguas Nuevas' –"

"'The Stone of New Waters'?" Lara translated. "He must be referring to the Philosopher's Stone."

"Exactly," Alister added. "The Taino had incorporated its existence into their old wives' tales, but perhaps this more contemporary group of Taino people had stopped trading with the Mayans at the time – either that, or being so scattered around Central America caused a big case of he-said-she-said."

"It makes sense," Lara agreed. "What else does the book say?"

"The sailor wrote how the natives told of the stone being sealed away for eternity in the Great Castle –"

"El Castillo," Lara interrupted. "It's what people think of when they hear of Chichén Itzá."

"That big pyramid thing?" Zip asked. "Is there more than just that?"

"There's a lot more, Zip," Lara said. She drew in a breath. "Well, I'm not prepared to wait for eternity to find the stone, how about you guys?"

"Well, you're going to have to wait for a bit, I hate to tell you," Zip said.

"Why is that?"

"Part of the story is that on the autumnal equinox, the snake can be seen descending the northern steps of the Castle."

"Kukulcan," Lara added, "the Mayan equivalent of the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl."

"When the snake is seen, that is the only time the stone is available to human hands, so the story goes," Alister said.

"Is there anything else?"

"I'm afraid not," Alister said. "They leave it at that."

"It's not going to be that simple," Lara said. "We know from experience." She sighed. "This whole quest for the Fountain is starting to sound like a complicated fanfic where the author just keeps adding in event after event to make the story better."

"Perhaps it does seem that way," Alister said. "Nonetheless, we can't do anything until the autumnal equinox."

"September 22 at 9:18 pm," Lara said. "Today is the 21st. How conveniently lucky we are."

"It wouldn't be a fanfic if things weren't conveniently placed throughout the story," Zip reminded her.

"So what, then?" Lara asked. "We have to wait to do anything until tomorrow?"

"It seems that way," Alister said. "Sorry, Lara. Take a load off. Check into a hotel, get a good night's rest, and tomorrow, we'll get the stone."

Lara sighed. "I don't like it, but what choice do we have?" She lifted her leg over the seat of the motorbike, straddling it. "We'll contact you first thing in the morning."

"Smashing," Alister said. "Be up early. Who knows how complicated these things will get."

Lara switched off the call and pocketed her portable video player. "Things just get more interesting by the hour," she commented to Kurtis.

Kurtis revved the engine. "So where exactly are we going?"

"Not to worry," Lara assured him. "Chichén Itzá is quite popular. There are hotels all around."

"Popular?" Kurtis asked. "How are we supposed to get our work done?"

"The site is closed right now because of drug trafficking," she told him. "There won't be a person in sight tomorrow."

"Sure hope you're right," Kurtis sighed, following her as she headed west to find a hotel.

* * *

"_I asked you for those damn coordinates yesterday!" Rutland shouted into the phone. Andrea, seated in the dining room over a plate of delicious chicken and noodles, sighed quietly to herself. This was nothing new. Every night, Rutland would come home to his condo, get on the phone, and start shouting at whoever was on the other end of the line. Each day, it was about something different._

_It had been six months since her departure from her home in Utah, and since she'd been in Florida, she'd visited the doctors in Tampa a total of seven times. Seven. Shouldn't she have been there every day? Rutland assured her that everything was running along smoothly. On several occasions, doctors flew in _from_ Tampa to meet with her. Each day, though, without any sort of treatment, she was getting sicker, and she could actually feel it. About three times a week, she would wake up late in the night with sharp pains in her sides. The cancer was getting worse, and had anything honestly been done to make it better?_

_Andrea wanted to have faith that Rutland was looking after her, but she realized that he never actually went with her on her trips to see the doctors in Tampa, and he was never there when the doctors came to Miami. He was MIA the majority of the time, and she had no idea why or what he was up to._

"_Just repeat them to me, alright?" Rutland sighed, leaning over a notepad, scribbling down some odd numbers. Andrea stood to take her plate to the fridge to save for later. "Thanks, I'll get it to Mike," Rutland said, hanging up. He entered the kitchen promptly. "How's it going, kid?" he asked absently._

_Andrea shrugged. "Just like every other day."Rutland began to fish through the fridge for food he could take with him on a long flight. _He's leaving again,_ Andrea sighed in her mind. He'd likely return that night, or the next day. "Are you coming with me to Tampa today?" Andrea asked hopefully._

"_I've got work to do out of town," Rutland said, getting a bottle of water._

_Andrea sighed. "I thought you were going to…" She didn't finish._

_Rutland looked at her quizzically. "Thought I was going to what?"_

"_Never mind," she said quickly, turning away from him._

"_I'm not your parent, Andrea," he said. "I'm not going to go to any school play of yours, or help you with homework, or play soccer with you in the yard. I'm your guardian – I'm just here to make sure the doctors do their job to help you out."_

"_Then why do I only go into Tampa twice a week, if that?" she asked, growing angry._

"_Are you unsatisfied with what you're being given?" he asked, taken aback. "This opportunity would never have come to you if it weren't for me."_

"_What does that mean?" she asked angrily._

"_You know what it means," he sighed, packing some of the food into a small carry-on bag._

_Andrea wanted to retort – if she actually had something to say, and if it weren't for the pain erupting in her abdomen. She clutched her stomach and bent over, groaning in pain._

"_What's wrong?" Rutland asked curiously. She couldn't respond. She crumbled to her knees, blackness clouding her vision as she became very dizzy. She vaguely heard Rutland shout her name, and felt him gripping her shoulders to catch her attention. She felt a nauseous feeling in her stomach, and then a warm sensation in her throat. The next thing she knew, she was vomiting blood into her hand. Her vision cleared, and she came back to reality in an instant. She slowly looked up at Rutland, who was in just as much shock as she was._

"_It's getting worse," she said to him. Rutland quickly retrieved a rag from the counter, handing it to her to clean herself off. Then, he sighed, pulling out his cell phone. Andrea's heart sank. _I'm coughing up blood, and you're back to business,_ she thought. _

"_Mike, it's me," Rutland said. "Can you be here sooner? We've reached a bit of a…predicament." After a moment, he hung up the phone. Andrea sighed, wiping the blood off her hands and leaning against the counter, weary. "You're coming with me today," Rutland said._

_Andrea was puzzled. "But don't you have to work?"_

"_Work, play…same thing," he said. "And you're coming with me. You're going to see what I've been researching."_

"_But…what about Tampa?"_

_He grinned at her, and she couldn't determine if it was an evil smirk or a intriguing concern. "After you see what I've uncovered, you'll never ask about Tampa again."_

Andrea awakened several hours later, after getting in a nice amount of sleep. She hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, being busy running away and evading criminal prosecution and what not. Not to mention the fact that she had pushed her psychic powers beyond their standard limits. At least she'd been able to open the map. That was all that mattered. She knew there was something about a stone, something about a lost temple, and something about it all being in Honduras.

Now, though, with such critical knowledge at hand, she had to decide what she was going to do. Was she going to help Lara and Kurtis, or was she going to remain loyal to Rutland, with the hopes that he would fulfill his promise?

Andrea groaned and rolled over on her side, covering her head with the pillow. _I'm only fifteen,_ she thought. _I shouldn't have to make such a big choice._ She closed her eyes, Rutland's deal he had made with her that night at Lara's house repeating over and over in her head.

_Rutland approached Andrea in the hall of the Croft manor as she lay on the ground, condemned to the embarrassment of defeat and the acceptance that Rutland was the victor."You would like to see your parents again, wouldn't you?" Rutland asked, kneeling down in front of her._

_Andrea felt tears coming to her eyes, and a pain seeping throughout her entire body after he brutally attacked her with equal psychic strengths. "Of course I would," she said quietly. "But that's not going to happen."_

"_They're not dead, Andrea," Rutland said._

_She looked up at him abruptly, confused and bewildered. "W-What do you mean?"_

"_They escaped," he said. "They're still alive. They moved out of Utah for protection."_

_She glared at him. "You're lying."_

"_They were injured, not dead," he argued._

"_Then take me home," she said. "Take me home right now."_

"_I'd like to do that," he said slowly, "but you have to help me first."_

_She slowly looked up at him. "With what?"_

"_Keep an eye on Lara," he said, "at least until I find the real Fountain. I promise, if you do this, I'll take you home." Andrea dropped her head, reluctant to betray Lara yet again. "Do we have a deal?" he asked. She slowly looked up at him. "I don't…know."_

"_Well, think about it," he said. "We'll meet again, and when we do, I want an answer."_

_She sighed quietly, then nodded as he stood to his feet, backing out of the room._

Was Andrea stupid to believe that her parents really were alive? She remembered the event perfectly, although she had never truly seen what happened. Everything she imagined was implanted in her mind. She had been informed of the murder of her parents just one-and-a-half years after she left with Rutland to Florida. _A gunman rampaged through the neighborhood. A serial killer stalked them. An old enemy reemerged. _She had heard all the stories, and none of them ever matched – so was she really that stupid to believe Rutland was telling the truth? She hadn't seen any physical evidence to prove that they were really dead. It was a fifty-fifty chance, but discovering the truth meant betraying Lara, and the fact that it might not even be true wasn't worth doing such a thing to a person like her.

Rutland promised he would take her home after all this stuff was handled. She didn't care about it anymore. She was immortal anyway, not that it was preferred so. She wanted to be healed of the cancer, not turned into some psychic freak, doomed to walk the planet until the end of time. _At least Rutland will be walking it with me_, she thought, and the thought alone made her feel more reliant on him, as if it made them closer.

At this moment in time, he was the closest thing she had to a father, assuming her parents really were dead. If they were dead, all she wanted to know was when it had happened. She didn't want to know why, or how, just when. If they weren't, she wanted to find them. Right now, she had two paths to choose from: help Lara, and hope she could find her parents on her own, or help Rutland, and hope he would fulfill his promise to her. Neither choice was better than chance.

Andrea stretched as she stood up, putting all these mind-boggling thoughts aside. The clock read 11:00 pm. She quietly entered the other room, but found Zip and Alister passed out. She sighed, feeling there was nothing to do but go back to sleep. _Fine with me,_ she thought. Just as she turned, though, she spotted a glimmering object on Zip's tabletop – the Chirugai. She cautiously approached it, glancing over at Zip to make sure he was asleep. Then, she picked it up, holding its weight in her hands. She glanced down at her right palm, where a scar had begun to form after it had cut her open. _It never healed,_ she thought. _Maybe…?_

She knew this thing was more important than just being a map, or some ordinary weapon. Andrea tucked it to her side and returned to her room, sealing the door shut. She lifted the mattress a few inched off the box spring to reveal her hidden backpack, and tucked the Chirugai into it.

Suddenly, a loud banging was heard in the other room. Startled, Andrea tucked the mattress down and hid under the bed, an intuitive feeling in her gut telling her it wasn't room service.

* * *

Lara sealed the door to the hotel room behind her, embarrassed, bothered, and elated altogether over the idea that this room she and Kurtis would be sharing only had one bed. When the receptionist had told them this, her stomach dropped, then her heart soared the she sighed. "We'll take it," she said, trying to sound irritated. The truth was, she was delighted. Sharing a bed with Kurtis was like going to the toy store for a little kid – she just needed to act like she hated the idea. She couldn't show him how she truly felt.

She tossed her small duffel of clothes into the corner, stripping off her backpack and headset. "We should get to the city by at least five o'clock tomorrow," she told Kurtis. "Who knows how long this could take."

"That's not much time," Kurtis pointed out.

"When you're as good as I am, you don't need a lot of time," she grinned.

"Touché," he replied. He glanced at the clock – 11:00 p.m. He sighed, taking off his shirt just as Lara turned around. He tried to be passive about it, but when he saw her eyes flicker at the sight of his half-naked body, he wanted to laugh – it was all part of his little game to get her closer to him. God knew she wouldn't express her feelings on impulse.

She dressed herself in her temporary pajamas – shorts and a tanktop. Although they hadn't done much today, she was tired, and ready for bed. When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Kurtis sitting on the edge of the bed, twirling his switchblade in his hands. Upon seeing her, he tucked it under his pillow. "Hope you don't mind me choosing this side of the bed," he said, leaning back.

"Not at all," she said. "Do you mind if I open the balcony window?" she asked.

He shook his head negatively, leaning back on his pillows. Once he covered his face with his arm, Lara couldn't help but look him over. There he lay, in those awful khaki pants, with no shirt on. His stomach was so toned, she figured one could chop tomatoes on it. His muscles flexed as he held his arm over his eyes. His tired, rugged look made him even more attractive, _if that's even possible,_ Lara thought. She wanted to crawl across the bed into his arms and let him do whatever he wanted to do to her – hold her, kiss her, touch her, make love to her.

_Make love,_ she scoffed in her mind. _He probably doesn't love you, anyway. And why should he? It's not like you've given him any hope._ Lara was certainly having a hard time with all this. She wanted to tell him how much she wanted him – how she'd missed him, and how she'd thought and dreamed of him. The problem was that she didn't act on impulse, unless it involved self-defense. Generally, she overanalyzed things, much like she was doing right now. _If you want to kiss him, just do it!_ she told herself. _It's not like he'd push you away. He wants to kiss you, too._ Did he really, though, or was she fooling herself?

"You're staring," Kurtis mumbled, not moving his arm.

Her stomach dropped. _I thought his eyes were closed!_ her mind screamed. "Sorry," she apologized quickly. "I was just thinking."

"Liar," he said, grinning.

"Excuse me?" she retorted.

"You know you want my body," he replied casually.

_Damn right, I do,_ she thought. "Don't flatter yourself," was the best she could come up with. She returned to her original task of opening the balcony window. She pulled the white curtains over it so the breeze was all that could come through. She turned off the light and crawled into her side of the bed, pulling the covers over her body.

Lara could feel the heat from his body. _God, this is going to kill me,_ she thought. She pulled the covers over her shoulders and turned to face away from Kurtis. She closed her eyes, wishing herself to sleep.

"So that's it?" she heard Kurtis say.

She opened her eyes, lying still for a moment. "What?"

"Here we are, lying in the same bed, and all you do is turn over on your side away from me."

"Figuratively, or literally?" she asked, trying to keep her sarcastic wit about her, even in a time like this.

He sighed. "There's something wrong with you," he muttered, sinking deeper into the bed, folding his hands behind his head.

Lara sighed quietly to herself. She knew he was right. Now was the opportune moment, and she _had_ told herself that tonight she would talk with Kurtis about this…situation. When else would she really get to?

She turned over, sitting up on her hands. Even in the darkness, she could see that his eyes were closed. _Just go with what you feel,_ she told herself. "Kurtis…" she breathed.

"Just go to sleep, Lara," he mumbled. _You're not letting me off the hook that easy,_ she thought. She reached across his body, putting arms on both sides of him. Then, she lifted her leg on the other side of him, straddling his entire body. He opened one eye, then closed it, drawing in a deep breath. "Not convinced," he muttered to her nonchalantly.

She slowly leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. Then, she kissed him. She drew away, looking into his eyes as he slowly opened them. "Getting warmer…" he said. She grinned, leaning forward to kiss him again, with more ferocity, but less than the first time. He stroked her face as he leaned forward to sit up, reaching the point where she was straddling his lap. He reached forward, gripping her thighs, pulling her towards him. She dropped a kiss on his shoulder blade, then nibbled at the silky skin of his collar bone.

Lara met his gaze, seeing something much more depth to him than she could have imagined. It scared her as much as it intrigued her. Kurtis reached a hand around her back, then up the edges of her tank-top until he touched the bare skin of her back. Finally, he peeled her shirt off, revealing her bra, and tossed the shirt aside to take in the artistic sculpt of her body. He kissed her neck, then her chest, and her body leaned into him as she closed her eyes, desiring every bit of his touch. Then, he leaned her forward, flat onto her back on the bed, leaning over her just as she had done to him.

Kurtis saw her closed eyes, and reveled in the idea that his touch could turn this headstrong, dominant woman into a tame, submissive lover. He let his mouth wander over her throat, neck, shoulders, chest, belly – anywhere he could find, being encouraged by her touch as she reached up to feel the muscles of his arms.

It wasn't until he reached for her shorts that she stopped, and sat up. Kurtis sighed in frustration. "What's wrong?" he asked dryly.

Lara sighed to herself, then looked to him. "What are we doing?"

"What do you mean 'what are we doing'?" he asked. "I thought they taught this stuff in sex ed in junior high."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it," she retorted. "I mean, what are _we _doing?"

"Well, I thought _you_ were giving up your resistance to _me_ so that _we_ could…" He stopped, then waved her away. "Forget it."

"So we could…what?" she asked.

"It obviously doesn't matter," he said. "I don't know what you're problem is, Lara. I mean, for one second in time, can't you just stop fighting? Can't you just realize what you want?"

Lara stared at him, wishing she could retort. The problem was that everything he said was the truth. "I know what I want," she said flatly.

"It must not be me," he said. "I just don't understand what it is! Are you a lesbian? Are you a virgin? Are you just not fucking attracted to me?"

"Just stop it, alright?" she snapped. "I don't need to hear this." She sighed, retrieving her shirt as she stood up. "Maybe there _is_ something wrong with me. You hit the nail on the head – I hope you're happy." She pulled her tank-top over her head and pulled open the balcony curtains, stepping outside.

_He's the only man who can drive me crazy with the truth, and still leave me wanting more of him,_ she thought. Hadn't she convinced herself just minutes ago that whatever he wanted to do with her, she would let him? Now, here she was, panicking. She was afraid that after all of this – this whole quest for the Fountain thing – he would leave her and never return again. She would put her heart out, and for what? To have it torn to shreds for one man?

_Why does this have to be so hard?_ she thought. She sighed to herself as she stared out at the moon in the distance, praying morning would come quickly so the only thing they would have to discuss would be business – like usual.

* * *

**Dammit, Lara! Why?! Just let the man touch you!! Haha...well, hope you like it. R&R Please...**


	11. Chichén Itzá

**Well, I personally think this chapter is sucky and terrible, seeing how I wrote it at like midnight. And the ideas seemed a lot better in my head than they did when I got them down on paper, so forgive me for the ultra suckiness of this chapter :P**

**I did however put a lot of research into ** **Chichén Itzá so I could get as historically accurate as possible...so try to enjoy!!  
**

* * *

Lara laced her boots, seated on the edge of the bed, trying to keep her mind from wandering to Kurtis. It wasn't as difficult to do while he was in the shower – _then again, maybe not._ Her mind wandered over to the _idea_ of him in the shower, and how she would secretly like to join him.

_Oh, stop it already,_ she told herself. _Stop being so wishy-washy._ She was growing as irritated with herself as Kurtis was. If she could turn back time, she would have let him have his way with her the night before. Maybe things would be different this morning, but then again, anything that went on between them changed the outcome of the situation.

She sighed as she sat back, her long loose hair falling over her shoulders. She heard the bathroom door open, and turned to face Kurtis as he stepped out, pulling a shirt over his head. _Why does he have to do that? He must know it kills me,_ she thought, even though it technically didn't bother her one bit. He looked her up and down, then turned to the small table to strap on his holster.

Lara stood, trying to be as casual as possible. "What was that look for?" she asked.

He turned to face her. "I've never seen your hair down," he replied. Lara locked eyes with him, trying to understand if this was just a passive comment or underlying flattery. He turned away, and she continued to stand in place. "It looks nice," he said, not turning to face her.

"_It looks nice"? _she thought. _What does that mean?_ Lara sighed. "Kurtis, about last night…"

"Just stop," he said quickly, facing her. "It's always 'about last night' with you. I get it – you're either not attracted to me, or you can't handle the idea of showing emotion, and that's okay. I respect that. It's your life."

"That's not true," she argued. But she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Then explain it to me, that way maybe _I_ can stop feeling like shit every time _you _pull away." He stood a foot away from her, staring into her eyes, waiting for some sort of explanation. She said nothing. When she looked away, he sighed. "That's what I thought."

"I don't owe you anything," she said icily, turning towards the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, and immediately after felt like a spoiled child. Everything he'd said was true, no doubt, but she wasn't ready to hear it. Would she ever be ready, though?

Lara drew in a deep breath and stared past herself in the mirror, so she wouldn't have to come to reason within her eyes. She pulled her hair back and began to braid the long tendrils, focusing on this simple task instead of the truth in Kurtis's insults.

* * *

  
The Ducatis rumbled around the jungle path, hidden deep within the Yucatán forests, and arrived at the sight of the Great Castle of Chichén Itzá. Lara and Kurtis killed the engines of their motorbikes and stepped off. Lara took a few steps forward, admiring the beauty and authenticity of the marvelous Mayan city. "It's absolutely beautiful," she said, entranced. "The pictures and stories don't even come close."

Kurtis approached her side, gazing over the sight with her. "Is that where we're headed?"

"Yes," she replied. "Let's see what we can see." On that note, the pair of explorers trekked forward towards the castle underneath the overcast Mexico sky. Lara had found it quite odd that neither Zip nor Alister had tried to contact her yet – she made sure her communications devices were on, but nothing had come through yet, and it was nearly five o'clock in the afternoon. She had expected Alister's nagging to wake her at nine a.m., but nothing had come through. Despite the odd occasion, she welcomed the break from her babbling comrades.

They stopped at the base of the pyramid, gazing up the thirty meters length to the top of the temple. "It's about 98 feet to the top," Lara speculated, "365 steps, one for every day of the year. I'd say a five-minute walk…?" She grinned at Kurtis, trying to lighten the mood.

He started forward. "Six, tops," he replied. Lara followed after him, and five-and-a-half minutes later, they stood at the temple structure of the top of the pyramid, gazing down at the beautiful scenery and ancient city below. "Quite the view," Lara commented. She turned to enter the throne room temple just behind her. "I thought the INAH closed access to the throne room years ago…?" Kurtis pondered.

"They did," Lara said casually. "But who's going to come and stop us?" They left it at that as they respectfully entered the throne room of Kukulcan after proceeding past the giant stone door. The inside of the temple was lined with stone hallways and few stone windows. Lara turned on her LED, noting the smell of the cold stone, dust, and algae. "No one's been in here in over three years," Lara said. "But it's not technically been tended to in several thousands of years."

Each hallway led to a closet-like room at the end of it, probably containing Mayan artifacts, tools, or perhaps even the bodies – or lack thereof – of formal rulers. At the end of the hallway was a statue of a person, lying on his back, knees pulled up, and upper body angled so he wasn't lying completely horizontal. A plate-like object was set in his hands. Lara bent down to wipe away the dust of the Mayan hieroglyphs encoded beneath the statue.

"It's a Chac-Mool statue," she commented. "It's original history is unknown."

"This platter," Kurtis speculated, "was probably created to hold the heads of sacrificial victims."

Lara mused over the hieroglyphs for another moment, then stood, brushing away the dust that had settled over the sacrificial plate. She ran her fingers over the edges and creases of where the plate was settled in the hands of the Chac-Mool. "Perhaps that's what it implies," she said, "but in a different context, it's much more important."

"Meaning…?" Kurtis asked, not following.

"These hieroglyphs speak a lot of the plate, but not in the use of holding human skulls. It puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that it's made of stone." She rose to her feet, stepping away to think. "Just because Alister found a translation of the name of Uc Abnal doesn't mean that the stone is directly located here in the pyramid. The city of Chichén Itzá is actually a lot bigger. It could be anywhere."

"It doesn't matter right now," Kurtis said. "Not without the equinox taking place."

Lara knew he was right. She stepped to the opening of the temple, looking over the north end of the city. The only thing in sight was the Tomb of the Chac-Mool about one hundred meters away. She turned and went to the south end, peering out of the window at the Well of Sacrifice. Just beyond that was the Observatory, where she could vaguely see a Chac-Mool at the base of the building. "Of course!" she said aloud. "The high priests wouldn't want the commoners to see the serpent from the north."

"How is that relevant?"

"In order to get the stone, we have to be south of the castle," she said. "It's the Cenote de Xtoloc, or the Well of Sacrifice."

"You think that's where the stone is?"

"I think it has something to do with it, yes," she answered.

"If we're south of the castle, we can't see the serpent when the equinox comes," Kurtis reminded her.

"Exactly how they want it," she said. "One of us will have to be at the well, while the other stands at the base of the pyramid. Whoever stays at the base will have to let the other know when the snake comes down the stairs."

"And how do you know the well has anything to do with this?"

"It'd be too conspicuous to be in the Observatory. The priests and elders were smarter than that. They hid the stone – or access to it, rather – somewhere less expected, yet not too far from where it should be. It's like a time trial – we'll have to make sure we get things timed with absolute perfection." She tapped into her headset. "Alister, what information can you give me on the Well of Xtoloc?" She waited a second for a response, but gained nothing. "Alister, hello?" she repeated. Still, nothing. "What the devil could they be up to?" she pondered aloud.

"I'm surprised they haven't tried to reach us yet," Kurtis agreed.

"Alister? Zip? Can you hear me?" she continued. There was still no response. "Perhaps the comm feeds were interrupted or something of the sort."

"We'll figure it out," Kurtis assured her. "As long as the two of us can still communicate."

"Of course," she said. "It's not as complex as conversing across countries."

Kurtis stood still for a moment, thinking. "How exactly are we supposed to see the snake if it's dark outside?"

Lara stopped and faced him, realizing the same thing. "You're right," she said. "Are we completely sure those glyphs translated to 'nine'?"

"They _are_ quite similar…" Kurtis removed a note from his pants pocket with some of the glyphs from the Chirugai scribbled about it. He stared long and hard at one particular symbol, then pocketed it, sighing with frustration. "It's a six," he said. "At 6:18, the equinox takes place."

"Bugger," Lara said. "That's barely over a half-hour. I'm going to Xtoloc. You stay here and keep an eye on the snake from the bottom of the pyramid. As soon as it comes, you absolutely must tell me. Then, when I give you the cue, you have to get back up here to the throne room as quickly as possible."

"I'll be waiting for your orders, captain," he said with sarcasm. Lara would've retorted, had they not been pressed for time. She descended the south end of the castle in record time, jogging her way towards the Well of Sacrifice hundreds of feet away. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but she knew whatever it was would be in the Well of Xtoloc, and after finding it, they would find the Philosopher's Stone in the Chac-Mool in El Castillo. _What a complicated sort of tasks, all for one silly little stone, _she thought irritably.

Nearly five minutes later, she reached the well. It looked somewhat like a well, but more like a large pond in the center of a circular, mud structure forming around it. There were trees and shrubs all around. She tapped into her headset. "Kurtis, can you hear me?" she asked.

"Loud and clear," he responded. "I'll remind you that it's already six o'clock. We only have about twenty minutes left."

"Thank you," she said dryly. "I haven't forgotten how to read time since the last five minutes have passed."

Kurtis sighed, but said nothing. Lara approached the water's edge, peering into the murky water. _God only knows what's down there,_ Lara thought, disgusted. Human remains from ancient sacrifices? Gold? Jade? Silver? She drew in a deep breath, dreading this experience. Then, she swan dove into the water, opening her eyes with the inability to see a foot ahead of her due to the cloudy water. _If they offered so many precious artifacts to their gods in this well, _Lara thought,_ that'll only make my task more difficult._

She realized the bottom was only about fifteen feet down. That wasn't so bad. She startled at the sight of skeletal remains, but drew away from it upon seeing the shiny flicker of golden trinkets, pottery, and jars that had likely held incense. She brushed the artifacts around, but didn't catch sight of anything interesting enough relating to this "excursion". She surfaced a bit, swimming towards the muddy walls of the well. There were some glyphs inscribed in various areas. _Bingo,_ she thought.

Various words appeared in her vision. _Xtoloc. Chac-Mool. Sagrado. Piedra. Aguas. Nuevas. Luz. _Lara thought on them for a moment, then surfaced for air, staying afloat long enough to fill her lungs. Then, she dived back under. _Why are some of these words of the Mayan language and some of Spanish?_ she thought. All of the words seemed to fit together for the most part, except one – _luz_, the Spanish word for "light". She turned around underwater, glimpsing the small nook of light coming from the sun, reflecting into the water. Then, it clicked. She followed it to the opposite side of the well, to what appeared as a glyph, but was actually a small trigger, or lever.

She pulled the lever about an inch out from the wall, and then felt a shaking. From the opposite wall, a small passage began to open. Lara swam over to it, excited, and swam through the dark corridor following it. Then, she surfaced in a pitch-black air pocket. She drew air into her lungs, activating her LED. She then saw that this wasn't just an air pocket – a whole other corridor lay ahead. She climbed onto the ledge, out of the water, and followed it into its depths. "Looks like we're getting somewhere," she said to Kurtis.

"I hope it's going to be quick," he said. "We only have ten minutes."

"We only need ten minutes, Kurtis," she promised him. Pictograms lined the musty hallway along the walls, and Lara wondered how deep this hallway went. Immediately after she thought so, she saw the end of the hallway. There was another Chac-Mool statue at the end of it. "All these twists and turns lead to the same outcome," she mused. "Let's see what's here…" She bent down near the statue to read the glyphs, but determined that they were indecipherable. She felt around the edge of the platter, but found that the crevices weren't the same as the one in the throne room of El Castillo. "It's the Chac-Mool," she said to Kurtis.

"What?" he asked.

"The stone is inside the Chac-Mool," she said. "If I could just figure out how to activate this one…"

"What happened to the ten-minute-max?" he reminded her.

"I'm working on it…" She turned back to the statue.

Kurtis paced about the bottom of the pyramid, glimpsing the sun inching closer and closer to the west side of the sky. He could almost see the plumed edges of the snake across the edges of the staircase, descending down towards the serpent's head at the bottom of the steps. _Dammit, Lara, hurry up,_ he thought nervously. Although the equinox would last several hours, they needed to reach the stone as soon as the sun eclipsed the edges of the staircase.

He glanced at his watch – 6:14. Four minutes until the equinox. All he had to do was get up the stairs into the throne room and reach the Chac-Mool. Hopefully things would be as simple as getting up there and grabbing the stone.

"What time is it?" Lara asked quickly.

He glanced at his watch again. "6:15."

"Head up the stairs as fast as you can," she said.

"Then what?" he asked, jogging up the 365 steps of the castle.

"We'll take it from there." Lara began to trace the Mayan hieroglyphs of the words "Stone of New Waters" along the platter of the Chac-Mool before her. _Let's hope this works,_ she thought. Finally, she drew the word "Waters" and stepped back, drawing in a deep breath. Within seconds, she felt a shaking coming again from within the cave. _Dammit!_ her brain screamed. She rushed down the corridor, unsteady on her legs, until she reached the air pocket. She dove in and swam quickly, given barely enough time to swim past the door as it closed behind her. Then, she swam up to the surface, gasping for air.

* * *

  
Kurtis reached the top level of the pyramid, glancing up as the sun descended in the east. From his standing point, he could see the pattern of the snake along the staircase's edge. He glanced at his watch – 6:18 pm. _Showtime,_ he thought. He proceeded into the throne room, heading towards the Chac-Mool. As soon as he entered through the door, it closed behind him. "And I thought this was going to be one of my easy days," he muttered, stepping towards the statue.

The platter in the Chac-Mool's hands began to rise, and a glowing, orange stone was revealed. "Damn…" he said slowly.

"What's going on?" Lara asked.

"The stone," he said.

"Be careful with it, Kurtis," she warned. Kurtis waved off her warning and reached forward grasping the stone. "It's pretty amazing," he commented. As soon as he removed the stone, a vertical light emitted through the roof of the throne room. "So that's my way out," he thought, scaling the wall to the reach the hole in the ceiling. From where he stood, he could see Lara standing below.

"Well," Lara breathed, glimpsing Kurtis's small silhouette from down below. "I think we're done here, yes?"

"Let's get the hell out of here," Kurtis said.

Lara grinned to herself, then attempted to page Alister and Zip over the headset. "Can you lads hear me at all?" she asked. There was still no response. "You'd think they'd have flown here on their own to make sure things got handled," she muttered. Then, she pulled out her cell phone, the last resort. _Good thing I have this extraordinary international calling plan,_ she thought, dialing Alister's number. After several rings and a voicemail, she still wasn't getting through. Now, she was getting worried. _My only other idea is to call the hotel,_ she thought. Fortunately, she had called the hotel the day before, so the number was still in her outgoing call history. The receptionist answered and short after, transferred her to the room.

After three rings, Lara was ready to hang up, but was delighted to hear Alister's voice. "My God, Alister! What the bloody hell is going on? We haven't heard from either of you all day!"

"Well, I'm so sorry, Lara," he said sarcastically, "but we've been trying to put together all the communications devices after they were destroyed."

"Destroyed? By whom?"

"Rutland's lads," he replied bitterly. "Last night, around midnight, I'd say, they came in here, knocked us unconscious, destroyed the computers and such, and kidnapped Andrea!"

"They did _what?_" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Bloody hell. And the notebook and the Chirugai?"

There was a hesitant moment, where Lara assumed Alister was reveling in guilt. "They took them – both of them."

* * *

**Yeah, cuz no one saw THAT one coming. Well, there you have it. I think you guys will thoroughly enjoy the next two chapters...Ch 12 is fun! Okay R&R please :)**


	12. In Pursuit, Yet Again

**Well, even though you guys claim to have liked Chapter 11, I still thought it sucked, so to make up for it, I decided to post Chapter 12 the very next day! So yay for suckiness!! Haha. And I must agree with Rozzyrox, the story is quite confusing. Sometimes _I_ don't even know what the hell is going on...but hey, I try. Hence why I HAD to address the confusion in my "fanfic angst" as OveractiveImaginer called it haha. So here's chapter 12, somewhat short, but I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT you guys will love Chapter 13, and that is all I am going to say :) Read on, my devoted fans!!**

* * *

  
_What could they have taken Andrea for?_ Lara thought as she stared into the ocean on the ferry ride back into Honduras. _Unless she resisted when they demanded her knowledge, or something of the sort._

Lara glanced over to the side, where Kurtis stood, his back to her, staring out at the ocean as well. In his hand was a cigarette, and his other was clasped into a fist as he leaned over the railing. She could tell he was angry – and why wouldn't he be? That damned Rutland had made off with his Chirugai – again. _You'd think he'd understand not to mess with it by this point,_ Lara thought, but then again, she knew better – Rutland was a spoiled rich boy, accustomed to getting whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it.

And Andrea? Lara just hoped she was okay – and, of course, that she was on their side in this whole thing. She wasn't quite sure whether or not to trust that kid. Just when she thought Andrea was going to help them out, she seemed to turn her back on them. Of course, she couldn't assume that that was what happened. Rutland could've sent his men to get the Chirugai, found Andrea there, and wanted her back. She could've truly found her way to Honduras on her own. After all, all Lara could do was assume that she was being honest, and that she was really trying to help them.

The ferry horn sounded, and a voice came over the intercom, announcing in both Spanish and English that the ferry would be docking in twenty minutes. Lara sighed to herself, leaning back from the railing and approaching Kurtis's side as he flicked the cigarette butt into the ocean below.

"You know, that's why the oceans are so polluted," she said, grinning.

He glanced at her, but didn't take lightly to her joke. He stared back out at the water. "It's a good relief."

"It causes cancer," she reminded him. She was trying to lighten the mood, but apparently Kurtis wasn't up for jokes and fun right now. Lara sighed. "We'll get it back, Kurtis."

"I know we will," he said. "Rutland's going to pay dearly for it."

Lara looked at the water, cautious with her words. "Did it…did it belong to your father?"

Kurtis looked into her eyes, and for the first time since she'd known him, she was afraid of what she saw in him. In the depths of his soul, projected through his eyes, was an intimidating glaze of hatred and revenge. She felt her body tense instinctually, even though she knew Kurtis would never hurt her. "Yes," was all he said in response.

He looked back out to the water. Lara sighed quietly, understanding his pain. She tenderly placed her hand over his, and it was enough to turn his gaze to her eyes. She offered a weak smile, and searched his eyes. "I personally promise that we'll get it back."

He stared back at her for a moment, then glanced down at her hand atop his own. He pulled away awkwardly and walked away. Lara immediately felt embarrassed. _Should I not have done that?_ she thought. _Doesn't he want me to get closer?_ Then again, she realized he may just be frustrated with the Chirugai situation – or maybe with Lara's inconvenient times to offer her feelings to him.

Lara sighed, turning away from the railing to reach the dock as the ferry pulled into Honduras.

* * *

  
"Thank Heaven you two are back," Alister sighed when he opened the door to Lara and Kurtis. They stepped inside the hotel room, glancing about at the overturned mattresses, the opened nightstand drawers, and the scattered papers and wires.

"It looks like they really made a mess of you," Lara commented, slipping her backpack off onto the bed. "They got what they came for."

"No doubt, they did," Alister mumbled. "Took off with the bloody notebook, the Chirugai, and the damned kid."

"The only good news is that we got things up and running again," Zip put in. "Well, for the most part. _And_ we have leads as to where Rutland's gone."

"Where?" Lara demanded.

"About five miles south of here."

"Why?"

"Not sure," Zip replied. "Just happens to be where he's set up camp."

"Let's hope he doesn't understand the map and glyphs," Lara said. Then she sighed. "I'm going to go find him. Alone."

Kurtis turned to her. "What?"

"You heard me," she said. "It doesn't make sense for two of us to go."

"Lara, that guy will kill you as soon as he sees you!" Zip said. "Remember he's immortal? _And _he has the Chirugai?"

"He wouldn't dare lay a hand on me," Lara said. "Not when he doesn't know where the stone is."

"Who says he even knows the stone exists?" Alister put in.

"He must know something," she reasoned. "Don't you think he'd be the least bit suspicious as to why we weren't here when the place was being burglarized? He must know we found some other sort of lead at least."

"And if he doesn't?" Zip asked.

"I'll play devil's advocate," she shrugged. "It's what I do best."

"This is ridiculous," Kurtis interjected. "You're going to either get yourself killed or get the stone stolen."

"This isn't my first time doing this, Kurtis," Lara retorted, "and it's certainly not my first time handling Rutland."

"Yeah, sure," he muttered.

"Don't be so upset about this," she said. "I can hold my own."

"Rutland's not going to hold back," Kurtis said dryly. "What makes you think you're so special?"

"I'm a persuasive woman," she said. "I know my way with words."

"This is a stupid idea," Kurtis argued, shaking his head with frustration.

"Stop overreacting," Lara snapped. "I'm going. Try to work off the temper tantrum before I get back, if you can." Lara turned towards the door, and vaguely heard Kurtis mumble, "_If_ you come back." She sighed, closing the hotel door behind her.

* * *

  
The coordinates and directions that Zip had given her placed Lara directly five miles south of the hotel they were lodged at. The only thing was that this "camp" Rutland had set up was exactly in the middle of nowhere. Tropical trees and brush surrounded the area, and there was no one around. Lara parked the Ducati near a rather conspicuous tree so she would be able to find it again. She tapped into her headset.

"I'm here," she said.

"Glad you got there safely," Zip responded.

"Kurtis?"

"Still, uh…wandering about…"

"Code for 'still pouting'?"

Zip chuckled. "Yeah. That's it."

"As well as can be expected," she muttered. She sighed, stepping forward into the thick grass, brushing past the hanging vines and shrubbery. "Lara, you're coming up to some campsites," Zip chipped in.

"Any sign of Rutland so far?" she asked.

"If he's here, he'll probably be in one of the trailers, hiding away."

"What do you mean, _if_?" Lara asked suspiciously.

"Well, we don't know he is here at this moment. Just be careful. There are mercenaries wandering all around."

"Nothing to worry about," she said casually. She pushed back some of the brush to see into the campsite. There were several mobile trailers set up, and a small ammunitions cache in the corner. "They've made themselves at home," Lara commented.

"_And_ they've managed to modernize everything to their liking," Zip added. "They've probably got Tivo and air conditioning in there."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Lara muttered. She gazed ahead, catching sight of a bronze door lodged into the mountainside. "What's that door over there?" she asked, zooming in on it with her binoculars.

"Hm, not sure," Zip said. "It looks like some kind of Mesoamerican hideout."

"And I'd put two hundred pounds on it that that's where Rutland's hiding."

"No harm in checking," Zip said.

Lara thought for a moment about what would be the best way in and through the campsite without being noticed. _I need to create a diversion,_ she thought. _But what can I do…?_ Then it hit her. She removed one of the four grenades latched onto the back of her belt and walked deeper into the jungle, back towards the area she had come from. Then, she pulled the pin from the grenade and launched it forward and to the left. She ducked behind a tree as the explosion went off four seconds later. Then, as she heard shouting, she ran to the right, around the perimeter of the campsite.

"Good idea, Lara," Zip said. "They won't know what hit them."

"Exactly my plan," Lara said, taking her pistols to hand. She knew that not _all_ of the mercenaries would go investigate the explosion. Several of them would still be at the campsite. But at least she had gotten rid of some of them. She snuck onto the campsite, hiding behind the weapons cache. The bronze door was being guarded by four armed mercenaries, on the opposite side of the hanging bridge. Below the bridge was a fast-flowing river.

Lara saw through the small window of one of the trailers a computer with visual feeds. _Cameras of the campsite,_ she thought. She sneaked around to the side of the trailer, then kicked open the door to find two guards inside. She closed the door as not to be seen, then pointed her guns about at the men. "Good day, gentlemen," she said casually. "I need your help with something." The men glanced about at each other fearfully. "I need to know where James Rutland is, and you're going to tell me. Better yet, _show_ me." The men stared at her in disbelief, until she cocked the trigger back on her pistol and trained it on their heads. "Do you think I'm joking?" she asked.

They glanced at each other again, and then turned towards the computer. The computer geek pulled up a visual feed of a dark room with a small amount of sunlight illuminating it. She saw Rutland on the screen, talking to a few other mercenaries.

"Where is that?" she asked.

"I-In the room beyond the bronze door," the man said slowly.

"And how do I get in there?"

He glanced at his buddies again, then back at Lara. "The pressure plate on the opposite side of the bridge."

_Perfect, _Lara thought. She breathed in, trying to decide what to do with these men. "You're not trained in weapons combat, are you?" she asked. He shook his head negatively, sweat growing at his brows. She turned away for a brief second, then turned back, backhanding the man with the butt of her gun. She kicked the other man in the face, sending them both unconscious. Then, she peered under the desk, pulling out several wires from the computers. "That'll do the trick," she grinned.

"So we know where Rutland is," Zip said. "Let's hope he's got the Chirugai with him."

"Of course he will," she said, still fiddling with the wires. "He treats that thing like it's his damned child…even though he can't manage to hang onto it." She stood up, glancing about the trailer. "What else can I mess with in here?" she said aloud. She saw a switch on the wall with two thick black wires trailing down from it. "What does this button do…?" she thought. She pulled the switch, and a loud alarm began to sound throughout the camp. "That ought to heat things up," she said cheerily.

Lara knew with the alarm going, she would have some coverage as she headed for the bronze door. She peered out the window as the guards stood in various positions. Then, she snuck out the back, heading towards the bridge. She fired at the guards standing on the opposite side, then ran to their position. Just as the mercenaries noticed she had evaded them, she tossed a grenade across the bridge, turned her back, and stood ground against the explosion. _See if they can cross _that _gap_, she scoffed in her mind. She stood on the pressure plate and watched the door rise vertically, until it was high enough for her to cross. Then, she casually walked through.

She followed the hallway down to the dimly lit room she'd seen on the cameras. In the center of the room was a small stone platform with Mayan glyphs on it. She approached it, translating it aloud. "And the stone, filled with its elixir of reprisal, and reunited with it base of originality, would deem the possessor with the power of immortality."

"What does it mean?" Zip asked.

Lara looked up, pondering. "I'm not sure," she replied. "Something tells me this platform is symbolic for something, although here in this forgotten temple, or whatever this place is, it is nothing more than a replica of what we _should_ be looking for."

"That's exactly what I thought," Rutland's voice said from the shadows. Lara braced herself and glared at the figure emerging, that annoying smirk across his face. She saw the Chirugai clipped on his belt. "I knew that the minute they told me about the explosion, you were coming here. It didn't surprise me at all." He approached the platform and touched it tenderly, then looked to Lara. "So the Philosopher's Stone…it's to be brought to this platform, rather the real version of this platform. See the hollow base…?"

"Let's pretend I don't know what you're talking about," she said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Come on, Lara," he said casually. "We've been down this road before. It's just the extra little factor that fits into the equation that makes everything work out."

"Meaning…?"

"Oh, you know…take the stone to the temple! To this exact platform in the Lost Temple."

"Ah, of course," she said sarcastically. "It must've slipped my mind."

"I don't suppose you brought it here, did you?" he asked. Lara grinned. "No, of course not! You've hidden it somewhere, and you're here to get the Chirugai back…and the kid, too?"

"What I'm here for is my business," she said.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about little Andy," he said.

"What did you tell her that evening at my home?" she demanded.

"Now that's something between me and her," he said. "And if she hasn't told you, that just goes to show that she's more loyal to you than me! How's that for irony?"

"Irony will be when I get the Chirugai back, _and _Andrea, while you're left here twaddling your thumbs," Lara retorted.

"If you've already translated the map, then why do you want the Chirugai so badly?" he asked.

"Don't be silly, Rutland. I need the Chirugai so I can kill you – not to mention I'll have the sound fact of knowing that your only insurance will be in _my _hands."

"I didn't know you could be so harsh, _Lady _Croft," he said. "But I _have _been practicing with it." He removed it from his belt and spun it on his finger, activating the devilish blue glow. "Let me show you some tricks I've learned." Rutland threw the Chirugai in her direction, and she dodged it immediately, already familiar with the routine. She trained her pistols on him and started firing, the bullets doing no harm. She glanced up quickly, seeing the Chirugai humming in a circle in the air, gaining momentum to surge towards her again. Meanwhile, Rutland began to form those terrible blue orbs of psychic energy, shooting them in her direction. She dove quickly to the side, barely evading the shot. Then, immediately after, the Chirugai came towards her. She did a quick somersault out of the way as the Chirugai returned to Rutland's grasp. He didn't catch it with easy and briskness like Kurtis did. He fumbled with it, held it with inexperience and mediocrity. _Kurtis would be laughing his gut out,_ she thought.

Rutland chuckled. "Now, this isn't any fun! Not if you can't even inflict damage on me."

"It's a good workout for me," she said, keeping her guns trained on him. But Lara knew he was right. She was powerless against him. Kurtis had been right, too, saying this was a stupid idea to have gone out here. He and Andy were possibly the only ones that could stand a chance against Rutland, and she had been too proud and stubborn to thoroughly think it through.

In the midst of her thoughts, Lara was knocked backwards by a fierce blue orb of energy. She flew into the stone wall and sunk to the ground, her vision blurring, then quickly coming back. She sat up on her hands, trying to see straight. Rutland stood over her, kicking her fiercely in the side. "I don't need powers to kick your ass," he commented, smirking. "I thought the great Lara Croft could hold her own?"

_If I could just get the Chirugai from him,_ she thought. He removed the Chirugai from his belt again, letting it float in the air in the blue energy. "You could've been a formidable opponent," Rutland sighed, "but now, perhaps, not." He gripped the Chirugai in his hand and drew it back, preparing to kill her.

* * *

  
**Dun dun dun...what will happen next?! You will have to wait until Thursday!! Stay tuned!! =D**


	13. Escape

**Thank you for patience, everyone, and especially for your feedback. Here is chapter 13, as promised. I can't resists those cliffhangers, even though I know you guys hate them 0:) But it is worth it in the end, no? Haha. I also very much appreciate my long-time fans' reviews, and my new fans' reviews, they keep me going, so thank you very much to all who have reviewed!! I honestly mean it when I say that I appreciate it!! =D**

Also I must make another minor side note...I will be out of town this weekend, so you might have to wait until Sunday night or Monday morning for Ch14, but I will be taking my laptop with me, so hopefully I can get a wifi connection and upload from there, so please don't panic. I haven't left you guys hanging yet, have I? I WILL NOT ABANDON YOU!! :) Haha. **Continue on...**

* * *

Kurtis paced the hotel room, glancing at the computer screen time and time again to see what Lara was seeing. Trailers, mercenaries, weapons, trees, guns – everything she was seeing, he could've been seeing, had she not been such a stubborn asshole.

Alister approached Kurtis's side, peering into a book, not looking up. "Cheer up, old chap," he said. "Everything will be fine."

"Yeah, sure," Kurtis muttered. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the computer. "If he's here, he'll probably be in one of the trailers, hiding away," Kurtis heard Zip say to Lara over the headset. He could faintly hear her voice on the other line, but couldn't understand what she said. "Well, we don't know he is here at this moment," Zip continued. "Just be careful. There are mercenaries wandering all around."

_Oh, great,_ Kurtis thought. It wasn't that he thought Lara couldn't take care of herself – well, it was, with Rutland. She didn't stand a chance against him. Her reasoning that he wouldn't kill her was insubstantial. If he wanted the stone, he could kill her and still find it. It wouldn't make a difference to him if she lived or died. Not to mention she didn't stand a chance against the Chirugai.

"What exactly does she plan to do?" Kurtis asked, turning to Alister.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"She can't get the Chirugai from him," he reasoned. "He may not know what he's doing with it, but Lara doesn't stand a chance against him."

"Don't worry, Kurtis," Alister assured him. "She'll be back soon."

Kurtis shook his head. "I'm not waiting here," he said, grabbing the key to the other Ducati. "She's going to be shit-outta-luck if I stay here."

"You can't leave!" Alister argued. "It'll only cause more trouble!"

"_I_ am the only one who can stand a chance against Rutland, and _I_ am the only one who knows how to properly handle the Chirugai," he said, facing Alister, his hand on the doorknob. "She'll thank me when Rutland's got her begging for her life with no way out." Then, he turned, opened the door, and left. Alister slumped his shoulders and sighed, shaking his head with disapproval.

* * *

_If I could just get the Chirugai from him,_ Lara thought. He removed the Chirugai from his belt again, letting it float in the air in the blue energy. "You could've been a formidable opponent," Rutland sighed, "but now, perhaps, not." He gripped the Chirugai in his hand and drew it back, preparing to kill her.

Rutland flicked his wrist and sent the Chirugai in her direction, heading straight for Lara's throat. There was nothing she could do. She could duck, she could dive to the side, but eventually, Rutland was going to kill her anyways. _If I could go back in time and listen to Kurtis, I would,_ she thought, although it was too late for that now. The Chirugai inched closer by the millisecond. Lara closed her eyes, preparing for death…and nothing happened.

She opened her eyes and startled to see Kurtis standing in the corridor, the Chirugai in his grasp. He drew back, taking a fighter's stance. Lara was as shocked as well as thankful for his presence there. Rutland, however, was confused. "Who the hell are you?"

Kurtis merely grinned. He threw the Chirugai in Rutland's direction, and before he could evade its deadly path, it cut him along the wrist. He groaned and stumbled backwards, gripping his wrist as it began to bleed. He looked up at Kurtis angrily, then reached out to seize the weapon. Kurtis, however, was faster, and more experienced. He diverted the Chirugai's path and retrieved it into his own grasp. Rutland looked down at the blood on his wrist and palm, then grinned evilly at Kurtis. "So the Chirugai belongs to _you,_ then?" he asked.

"No," Kurtis told him. "It belongs to my father, Konstantin."

"Interesting name," Rutland scoffed. Kurtis balled his fist, trying not to let his anger get the best of him. "So you're Lux Veritatis then?" Rutland asked, pacing the room casually. Kurtis glared at him. "I'm quite impressed. I _do_ love a challenge." Rutland formed an orb of blue energy and shot it in Kurtis's direction. Kurtis quickly blocked it with his own telepathic wave of energy. Rutland was surprised, and chuckled as he clapped his hands. "Bravo," he said. "This will be a lot more fun than it was with Lara over there."

Lara sat up on her hands, watching as the two psychics battled for control – and for the Chirugai. "Lara, get out of there," Zip told her over the headset.

"I'm not leaving Kurtis," she said.

"He'll be fine, if you couldn't tell!" Zip argued. "Get outside, clear things up, and get ready to go. Once he comes out, you guys need to jet!" Lara knew he was right. With a injured pride – as well as an injured body – she rose to her feet, trying not to limp on her leg as she headed for the door. Rutland caught sight of this, and sent a surge of energy towards her. Kurtis immediately blocked it, and shoved Rutland backwards with his own telepathic surge. "Get out of here, Lara! Go!" he shouted.

Lara raced up the corridor and outsides the building. Mercenaries gather all around, aiming their weapons at her. _Shit,_ she thought. _Where to go now?_ She glanced around frantically, then down at the water below. It was her only option. She dove in quickly, avoiding the bullets, and tried to remain still as the water carried her downstream. After a few seconds, she was dumped into a small pond-like area. She surfaced, gasping for air, then swam to the edge to crawl out. She looked up, realizing she was only about a half-mile away from where the campsite was set up. She drew in a deep breath, preparing to trek the mountainside and return to the Ducatis.

* * *

Rutland was growing weary, and Kurtis could see it as well as feel it. Each surge he sent forward was less forceful than the previous. It was just a matter of time before he was too tired to go on, but Kurtis knew he wouldn't give up that easily. Kurtis then sent forth the strongest wave of telepathic energy that he could manage, sending Rutland into the stone wall behind him. _That'll give him a few seconds to recover,_ Kurtis thought quickly, and with that, he turned and ran up the corridor and out the door. Mercenaries lined the ridge on the opposite side of the water. The only way out was down. He quickly dove in, fighting to stay surfaced, then coughed for air as he found his way to dry land.

_Back to the bikes,_ he thought. Soaking wet, he jogged his way up the cliffside and towards the tree where both of the Ducatis had been stationed. In the distance, though, he heard a motor roaring. He drew his Boran X in his hand and ducked behind a tree. When he recognized the motorbike's roar, though, he holstered his weapon, relieved to see Lara pulling up. "I'll give you a ride back to yours," she said.

He quickly hopped onto the back, holding into Lara to say atop the bike. _Even given the circumstances, _he thought, _I still think this is the best seat in the house. _Lara must've read his mind, because she glanced back and said, "Let's not relive the moment at the Louvre. At least not right now." Kurtis chuckled inside, climbing off her bike and onto his own once they approached the secluded spot in the trees. Then, they revved the engines and sped out of the jungle and towards the hotel.

* * *

Lara and Kurtis entered the hotel room, weary and beat-up. Alister sighed. "You're back. _Alive_."

"As can be expected," Lara said, trying to remain casual. She removed her comm devices and set them on Zip's "Table of Technology". "At least we got what we left for, and kept what we needed."

"Right," Alister said. "Now all we have to do is find the Fountain itself, take the stone back to the Lost Temple, and we're done!"

"It's not that simple," Lara argued. "Remember the platform in Rutland's hideout? It had some kind of circular groove as an insert, like it needs something placed inside of it. I believe there is another one in the Lost Temple, and that is where we must take the Stone."

"Yeah, if immortality is what you want," Kurtis added.

Lara faced him. "What do you mean?"

"The Stone is supposed to be filled with the elixir from the Fountain of Retribution –"

"Of course!" Alister interrupted. "Reprisal! Just like the platform said."

"Yeah," Kurtis continued. "It must then be taken to the same platform, but instead the real one – the one in the temple. It was part of the Quest for Knowledge that the Taino would go on to show their religious devotions. The person who took the stone to the platform would be endowed with immortality, what the Taino would call 'god-like powers'. This endowment, however, could only take places once a century."

"And I doubt anyone's bothered to do so in the last few centuries," Lara added. "Very well, so we destroy the Stone."

"No!" Alister shouted, taking it from her grip to protect it. "Are you insane? We can't destroy it!"

"And why not?" Lara argued. "Such power in the wrong hands can be fatal. We have the only thing that can kill Rutland, and we have the only thing he wants."

"We should respect history and return the stone to the temple, even if not for our own advancement," Alister argued.

"That's pointless," Zip interjected. "Why would we do that if we don't need to?"

"To see where the Fountain of Youth is truly located," Alister answered. "After all, Lara _is_ a tomb raider – finding a lost temple should be at the peak of her interest, don't you think?" Zip and Alister turned to Lara, who stared on thoughtfully.

Lara sighed. "Alright," she said. "I'll do it. We'll get moving tomorrow morning. I think we all need rest until then."

"Good," Alister concluded. "Perhaps we ought to change hotels while we're at it. We wouldn't want Rutland falling in again with such powerful artifacts in our possession."

"Yeah, but we should stay close," Zip added. "Rutland wouldn't suspect that."

"He's right," Kurtis agreed. "Let's pack up."

* * *

Two hours later, the gang was situated into a new hotel, with bigger rooms and more space. It was five o'clock in the afternoon, and though she didn't feel tired, Lara knew that the second her head hit the pillow, she would be out. Her body was beginning to ache, and her head was pounding.

"I'm off to bed, boys," she told Zip and Alister, who were too indulged in their own studies.

"Goodnight then," Alister said passively. Lara sighed, shaking her head as she closed the door between the two rooms. Kurtis stepped out of the bathroom, steam pouring from within after a hot shower. There he was, yet again, without a shirt on. Lara sighed inside, but was too tired to protest. She entered the bathroom, without uttering any words to Kurtis, and stepped in the shower as well, fighting the urge to fall asleep.

Ten minutes later, clean and muscles loosening, Lara was ready to go to bed. She toweled at her loose tendrils of long brown hair, then tossed the towel over the nearby chair. Kurtis was lying atop the bed, seemingly asleep. Lara sighed quietly and approached the bedside, seating herself gently on the side. She scaled over his body, as she had done many times before, but this time, felt the urge to touch him.

_He saved my life today,_ she thought, appreciating him more in this moment than she ever had before. She let her fingertips gently fall over his bare chest, then down his abdomen. With lightning speed, he gripped her wrist, opening his eyes. She would've startled in any other context, but since it was Kurtis, she realized – after all the times before – that she truly wanted him.

She pushed his wrist off of hers and put both arms on the sides of his body, brushing her lips against his, but not kissing him. She moved her lips across his neck and down his chest, her tongue gently caressing his skin with each peak of desire.

Kurtis sat up, pulling away from her. She searched his eyes, confused as to why he was now the one drawing away. He sighed, staring into her eyes for a moment. Then, he spoke. "Don't do this if you're not completely sure…" he told her. "I don't want to hear another one of your 'about last night' speeches."

She smiled genuinely at him. "It's all about tonight this time," she said quietly. No matter how cheesy the line really was, she felt it in her heart that tonight, she wanted him and nothing else. They stared at each other for a moment, and then, when she felt she would burst, Lara dove towards him, her mouth meeting his with an insatiable need to feel every part of his being. He turned over her, kissing her with the ferocity she had shown him time and time before, but had never fully given in to him. She reached her hand around his neck, pulling his mouth further towards hers, and wrapped her legs around him, urging him to go as far as they both desired.

**** Author's Disclaimer: If you are interested in reading the following sex scene, be my guest. If it offends/bothers you, however, feel free to skip it. I don't feel the need to change the rating because of one scene that you could just overlook, so if you're uncomfortable reading it, then just stop here, or go on to the next chapter. It's short anyway, so whatev. Thank you!!!!! ****

Kurtis gently pulled her shirt over her head, then stared into her eyes as if waiting for her to protest like she had done several times before. When nothing happen, however, he continued to kiss her, letting his hand run down the bare skin of her stomach and towards her shorts. He slowly pulled them off and tossed them aside, leaning his full body weight on top of hers, staring into her delicate brown eyes. He slowly kissed her neck, and she arched into him, her body's control seeping from her bones like rain sliding across a window, suppressing a small moan. He was amazed, yet again, at how this dominant, overbearing woman could be so submissive in a time like this. In every movement of her body, every time she closed her eyes, every time she exhaled a breath of air or a moan of pleasure, he could feel her telling him to take control, and show her what she wanted.

Kurtis intended to do just that. His mouth met hers, and he pushed himself into her. She breathed a moan into his mouth, twisting the sheets in her grasp. He steadied himself over her as he pushed again, and her hands reached over his back, balled into fists, as if gripping for some invisible bar to steady herself against the overwhelming force, as well as indulging in the need to have him inside of her again. For Lara, these feelings weren't enough. Feeling him pierce her just wasn't enough. She wanted to become one with him, to transcend above these pleasures of the flesh, and realize that everything between them was stronger than anything she'd ever felt before.

Lara knew better than to give herself in to such desires of pleasure, but there was something different about this man, something different from the men she had been with before. She could feel his matched need within himself to have her just as much as she needed him. She had never been one to rely on another for anything, but with Kurtis, she indulged in the feelings of having someone to fall back onto and still be able to stand on her own two feet after. The idea - no, the sensation - of having someone as strong as her be able to stand by her side and help her, teach her, was more exhilarating than the touch of his skin.

Could this be love? She wasn't sure, but at this moment, all she wanted was to feel every inch of him, to be acute of every one of his desirable sensations against her own body. In this moment in time, he belonged to her, and she belonged to him. In any other given instance, she would be terrified of the idea of losing control under her own submission to another person, but with Kurtis, she wanted to take the dangerous, daring step into his world with her eyes closed, allowing him to call her his own.

A few minutes later, when the world around stopped spinning out of control, Lara could feel Kurtis's heartbeat against her chest, and she realized that both of their hearts beat in synch, as if connected to each other. Oh yes, she had been with many men, but Kurtis was perhaps the first one she had truly connected with, the first one she felt stronger with after making love, and not weaker. His unsteady breathing against her neck sent chills up her spine, and she turned to face him, staring into his piercing blue eyes that were swamped with a loss of control and a lust for love. She pulled his mouth towards hers and kissed him slowly, perhaps the slowest she had ever done, and formed the words in her head – _I love you._

Despite everything that had happened, she still couldn't find the courage, nor the strength, to speak those three words to Kurtis. Even as he continued to touch her bare skin and kiss her naked flesh, satisfying her in ways she'd never experienced, she felt a tinge of guilt creeping into her heart, and an uncertainty of self-value following it.

* * *

**There you have it. Lara and Kurtis have expressed their...love...to each other...though Lara still has her doubts, as usual. *Sigh* Just like Lara. R&R please! Your reviews give me writer's strength!! =D  
**  
**(WITH THE WALK BUTTON DOWN, I WON'T FALL OFF, EVEN IF YOU TRY TO MAKE ME....GO ON! TRY IT!!! xD)  
**


	14. Hidden Talents

**Hello all...hope you enjoyed your spring break, or you are currently enjoying it...**

**To OveractiveImagineer, let me address your concern...what I mean (in ch13) about "the only thing that could kill Rutland" was how they had the Chirugai at hand at that time...the stone provides the "immortality of 'god-like powers'" which is what Rutland wants...sorry for the confusion...I'm good at doing that, aren't I? xD Oh, and I know. It is far too easy to become jealous of Lara in situations like this. Haha 0:)**

**Well, let's check up on Andrea...we haven't done that in awhile...**

* * *

Andrea slowly stirred in her makeshift bed, groaning as her entire body felt pain flood over it. She opened her eyes, blinking several times to regain her vision. Then, she slowly sat up, looking around. Where was she? She hadn't seen this place before – where had she been last?

Then she remembered. She had been in the hotel room in Honduras with Alister and Zip, and then the room had been broken into, and she had been knocked unconscious and taken away, likely by Rutland's goons. Strangely enough, she didn't feel in any danger, even after being kidnapped and continually used by Rutland. She knew it was sick – she was so hollow and lacking for someone to truly care for her and take care of her that she would give in to anyone. Even Rutland.

She heard the muffled voice of a man shouting on the other side of the wall. Andrea stood to her feet, a bit dizzy, then went to the door, leaning against it to hear Rutland shouting on the other side.

"How did she get through security if you had been doing your jobs?" he demanded.

"We're sorry, sir," one man replied quietly. "She had a gun –"

"And so do you," he said. "Tucked in the drawer. You should've gotten it. I don't want to hear your excuses…" Andrea leaned back. Had Lara come through here? Then, she remembered. She had taken the Chirugai into her backpack for safekeeping, but assumed Rutland had taken it upon her kidnapping. Had Lara returned and taken it back? What had happened in the time she had been asleep?

"Just clean up the mess, and do it quickly. Your incompetence nauseates me," Rutland said. Andrea heard a door opened, and assumed the men had left. She opened the adjoining door to see Rutland shuffling through papers and computers on the desk. He glanced up at her. "Finally awake?"

"What's going on?" she asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he replied. "Your little friend came through here and took the Chirugai."

"Lara?" Andrea asked.

"Yeah, unless you have any other friends I don't know about. Highly unlikely…"

"Where is she now?" Andrea asked.

Rutland stopped moving, staring out the window for a second. Then he grinned, looking over at her. "Taken care of," he replied. Andrea glimpsed the gash on his wrist, and assumed he had been injured by the Chirugai.

"You…you killed her?" she breathed.

"Of course I did," Rutland said, folding his arms over his chest. "She came here for the Chirugai, so I had to stop her somehow."

"You promised," Andrea said. "You promised that if I helped you, you would –"

"Take you home," Rutland finished. "We've established that."

"And that you wouldn't hurt them," Andrea interrupted. "You _promised_!"

"Promises are ineffective," he said.

"So you're not going to stay true to what you said?"

"Of course I will! When we're done here."

Andrea scoffed. "When will that be?"

"_When we're done here,_" he repeated, growing irritated.

Andrea looked down, growing angry. Then, she shook her head. "I'm not doing this anymore." She turned to leave, but Rutland stopped her.

"What did you say?" he asked.

She faced him. "You heard me. I'm sick of your little games." She walked towards the door, but Rutland closed it with his telekinetic powers. She faced him angrily.

"You don't leave until I say you can leave," he said angrily. "And I haven't said anything yet."

"What are you going to do?" Andrea asked, unafraid. "Kill me?"

"Oh, I could find a way," he assured her. He stepped closer to her. "May I remind you, I'm all you've got," he said icily. Andrea tried to remain fearless and keep her ground, but her old intimidation of James Rutland came flooding back, and she backed away, into the door, until there was nowhere to go, and he stood just a foot away from her. "Without me, you'd be all alone, and you'd have no way of finding your parents. Do you really want to take that chance?"

She slowly looked up at him. "How do I know they're even alive?"

"Because I said so," he responded.

She stared into his eyes, angry, and then shook her head. "I don't believe you. I don't _trust_ you. I never should have! This has just been one thing after another! All you've done is thrown me into your little 'pond' of manipulation, but I'm sick of it."

"Oh, look who's growing a spine!" Rutland cooed. "You're a little too late for that, Andrea." He backhanded her, sending her to the floor. "Now's not the time to get bold. Now's the time to straighten up." He bent down near her. "We're almost finished with this. After two years, we're almost done, and now you want to leave _me_?" He scoffed as he shook his head. "I don't think so. You don't go anywhere until we're finished." Andrea looked down, ashamed and embarrassed. "Now you're going to tell me _everything_ you know about what Lara found out."

"I don't know anything," she muttered.

"Don't lie to me," he warned.

"I don't know anything…" she repeated.

He gripped her throat and shoved her backwards towards the door. "Where did they go, and why?" he demanded.

She clawed at his hand to break free from his grip, but found it useless. "I…don't…know…" she fought to say.

"Don't make me do this, kid," he said. She continued to fight, but to her avail, nothing happened. She reached a last resort and pulled a leg out, kicking Rutland in the stomach. He stumbled a bit, and she found it as a chance to break free. She stood up and opened the door quickly, running through the next room. Before she reached the exit, she felt a surge of psychic energy hit her and send her flying into the wall. Rutland casually entered the room. "We can do this all day long, Andy," he sighed, "or you can just tell me what you know."

She groaned as she sat up on her hands. "I don't know anything," she said.

"Come on, kid," he prodded. "I know about the stone. I know about the Fountain. I know about the Lost Temple. All I need to know is where all of it is at, and I know you know, because Lara knows, and she trusted you, and she told you, so therefore, _you know_."

She drew in a deep breath. "I don't know," she said again.

He picked her up with his telekinesis, shaking his head disapprovingly as he sent her flying into the next wall. He approached her, twitched his fingers to lift her invisibly by her throat, and then drew a fist back. Just as he was about to strike her, he stopped, staring to the side thoughtfully. "Of course…" he said slowly. "It's right under our noses." He casually dropped Andrea to the floor, pacing away to think. "She wasn't in Honduras to find the Stone – she didn't know about the Stone until two days ago. She was here because that's where the Fountain is at!" He chuckled as he faced Andrea. "It all makes sense now!" She stared up at him angrily. "But you don't know _where_ in Honduras it's at, do you?" he asked.

Andrea continued to glare at him, summoning strength in her mind to attack him. He shook his head, sighing. "You disappoint me, Andy," he said. "You could've been the best. I was more than willing to take you home after all of this, but now, after seeing how disloyal you are to me, I think I'm just going to let you sit in here and think things over." He opened the door to exit the trailer, stopping to face her. "Your little friends are in for a surprise," he said, smirking evilly.

Andrea knew her defenses and offenses were useless, but she was too angry to hold back. She glanced back, grabbing her backpack and strapping it on, then turned towards the door. _I'm getting the hell out of here,_ she thought. As soon as Rutland closed the door, she shot a bolt of energy towards the door, blasting it from its hinges and forward, hitting Rutland from the other side. She walked down the steps, focusing her glare on Rutland as he crawled out from under the door, clutching his head. Several of the mercenaries standing by picked up their weapons, but were confused as to what was going on.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rutland asked angrily. Andrea shot another surge of energy his way, knocking him flat on his back.

"Giving you a taste of your own medicine," she said coldly. "Doesn't feel so good, does it?" As soon as he stood, she shot him again, knocking him down once more.

He looked up at his guards. "What are you waiting for?" he shouted. "Take care of her!" The guards aimed their weapons at Andrea, who immediately formed a psychic shield of orange energy around her body, deflecting the bullets back to the attacks, killing them in an instant. Rutland stood to his feet, shocked at this girl's sudden talent, provoked by anger and betrayal.

Andrea then gathered the energy into a large orb, and then shot it at Rutland, knocking him several feet backwards. She casually approached him as he groaned in pain. Then, she bent down, picking him up by his throat. He gripped her hands, but found it useless. When he peered into her eyes, they were swallowed by orange irises, etched with anger and revenge. "Andrea…" he muttered. For the first time, he began to fear this young child. At this exact moment, she literally held his life in her hands. Orange bolts of energy ran up and down the arm that held Rutland in the air, and her free hand, balled into a fist, was surging with the same orange energy. Her usual look of fear and anger was now turned into one of hatred and a lust for revenge. She squeezed harder, until he almost couldn't breathe, to the point where he felt his eyes roll to the back of his head.

Then, as quickly as the power had come, it began to leave, until the look of hatred in her eyes swam away, replaced by that look of fear. The bolts of energy stopped flowing, and she released Rutland. He began coughing as he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Andrea stared down at her shaking hands, stepping away. She looked up, searching frantically, and noticing the dead bodies of the men she had killed. Then, she looked back down at Rutland, who stared up at her in confusion as well as shock. She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes, then turned, running out of the jungle.

Rutland gathered his strength, sighing as he stood to his feet. "Who would have thought it," he said, grinning evilly. After everything that had happened, he felt that Andrea still might have some use to him. For now, though, he would let her go. There wasn't anything else he needed of her – at the moment, anyway.

* * *

Lara awakened that morning to a loud banging on the door separating her room from Zip and Alister's. She opened her eyes, passively noticed the sun shining through the window. She glanced down at her naked body wrapped in sheets, then over at Kurtis, asleep on his stomach. Boy, was he a sight. Although she'd had feelings of doubt within herself just the night before - and was still sustaining those doubts, to say the least - she couldn't help but fall into teenage love at the sight of his handsome face and body. She sighed to herself as the banging continued.

"Lara, are you awake yet?" Alister called. "It's almost 9:30! We've got work to do!"

She wrapped the sheets around her body, sitting up. "I'm getting dressed, Alister," she called back. "I'll be out in a minute." She rubbed her temple, sighing. What she really wanted right now was lean over Kurtis, trail kisses down his bare skin, and make love to him again, until she felt she had no more strength left. There was work to do right now, though, and emotions to sift through before things went any further. She sighed in her mind at this thought, wishing things would be easy, then felt Kurtis sit up on the bed. She glanced back at him, offering a subtle smile. "Good morning," she said softly.

"Waking up next to you, it certainly is," he said, grinning. She turned her face away from his so he wouldn't see her smile drop. It wasn't that she was ashamed that she had slept with Kurtis, nor that she was regretful – it was that everything was possibly more complicated now than it had been before. What did _he_ expect of this? Did he think it meant they were going to get hitched, move in together, have children, become a suburban family? Had it just been sex to him? Had it been a spur of the moment? _What_ was he thinking?

Lara couldn't quite figure her own thoughts out either. She hadn't merely had sex with this man – she'd made love to him. She _loved_ him, and she couldn't deny it, but oh how it complicated things between them. Settling down was the farthest thing from her mind. In a way, it was a spur of the moment for her, but on another note, it was an explosion of feelings that was long overdue. The _last_ thing she would do would be regret last night. It had been heavenly.

Lara sighed quietly to herself, staring down at the dingy brown and red carpeting pattern. She didn't know what to do. She felt Kurtis shifting behind her, then felt his warm touch running down her arms. He kissed her neck, then trailed his mouth down her shoulder, breathing in her scent. Lara closed her eyes, soaking in the moment, wishing they could stay where they were for the rest of their lives, wrapped in each other's arms, with nothing to count on but their feelings towards each other. Lara sighed quietly, meeting his piercing blue eyes.

"We should get ready," she said quietly. He met her gaze, then kissed her lips slowly, returning to her eyes. She wasn't ready to let go of him yet. She reached around his neck, pulling his mouth towards hers for another long, passionate kiss. It was funny to her how before, she'd been so reluctant and cautious, and now, she couldn't get enough of him. She pulled away from the tender kiss slowly, locking eyes with him for another moment. Then, they both climbed out of bed, quickly donning a pair of clothes suitable for the day's adventures.

Lara opened the door between the rooms to see the shining faces of her comrades. "It's about bloody time," Alister complained. "It's getting late."

"It's not even peak hour yet," Lara told him. "Calm yourself."

"That's what I've been saying," Zip sighed.

"Right. So where are we for today, boys?" Lara asked.

Zip faced the computer. "Well, while you two were in Yucatán, Alister and I researched the glyphs further, and finally found the map we were looking for."

"Did you?" Lara asked excitedly. "And?"

"The Fountain is located a half mile northwest of Puerto Cortes, which is about twenty miles north of here," Zip said.

"Right in the center of the gulf," Alister added. "Exactly where the Arawaks originally located it."

"Exactly," Lara echoed. "Then we'll get moving out."

As she and Kurtis gathered their holsters and guns, a knock came to the door. "Who the devil could that be?" Alister asked.

"Quiet," Lara urged. She approached the door looking through the peephole. When she didn't see anyone, she sighed, assuming it was Andrea again. She opened the door a bit to the young child, who appeared surprised at the sight of Lara. "Lara!" she exclaimed. "You're alive!" She burst through the door and into Lara's arm, knocking her a few steps back with the abrupt embrace. Lara was confused, but returned the hug. "Yes, I'm quite alright," she said, chuckling a bit. "Whatever are you talking about? And how is it that you always end up on my doorstep?"

The girl wiped her eyes, laughing relief. "Bad timing, I guess," she shrugged. "Rutland told me that he…that he had killed you."

"Well, he bloody well tried," Lara said, closing the door as Andrea entered in and exchanged greetings with the other comrades. "How did you manage to get apart from him?"

Andrea sat on the edge of the bed, sighing as she looked down, apparently ashamed. "You don't want to know."

"Why is that?" Lara asked curiously.

Andrea sighed again, slowly making eye contact with Lara. "I think…I think I almost killed him."

"Killed him?" Alister laughed. "You can't possibly! He's immortal, remember? Just like you…?"

"It's not like that," she said, frustrated. "He was…he got mad at me. And…and he started hurting me, and said some things…"

"What things?" Kurtis asked.

She shrugged, looking down. "Just things. I got mad, and I fought back, but this time…this time it was like I wasn't controlling myself." She closed her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks, and choked on a small sob. "I…I killed a bunch of people." Lara glanced at Kurtis, who folded his arms over his chest, shrugging a bit. "They shot at me, and I deflected the shots back at them and killed them all."

Lara knew that Andrea had killed Rutland's mercenaries, which wasn't much of a cause for concern. The real concern was this girl's inability to control her rage, and the danger that could be created if it happened again. She was like a ticking time bomb. Lara glanced at Alister, who shrugged, then to Zip, who turned back towards his computer.

Lara sighed. "Andrea, they signed up for a job where the philosophy was kill or be killed," she reasoned.

"But I'm a kid!" she argued. "I _killed_ those people! And the worst part is that I couldn't even control it. It was so scary."

Lara glanced at the others, who still had looks of confusion on their faces. "You know what?" she said, leaning forward and putting a hand on Andrea's shoulder. "You're going to stay here. You'll be safe, and you won't have to worry about Rutland, or his mercenaries, or anything else of the sort. Zip and Alister will take care of you…" She looked over to her comrades, who appeared nervous. "Right, boys?"

They glanced at each other. "Uh…right," Zip responded.

She looked back to the girl. "Just let everything else be the past. No use dwelling on it."

"But –"

"No buts," Lara argued. "Stay here and rest. Keep close to Zip and Alister, and stop worrying. Understood?"

Andrea sighed. "Yes," she said quietly.

"Good," Lara said, offering a weak smile. She stood up. "Now Kurtis and I have to get going. We –"

"Going where?" Andrea interrupted.

"To the Fountain," Lara responded. She eyed her suspiciously. "Is there something I should know?"

Andrea looked up at her slowly. "No," she said. "I mean, I don't think so…"

Lara continued to glare, unsure if this girl was telling the truth. Then, she turned towards Kurtis. "Shall we?" she asked. He holstered his specially-made gun and followed Lara out the door.

* * *

**Well, it looks like Andrea is quite the talented little flunky, eh? I just couldn't help myself. I had to make her have at least ONE bad ass scene. And kicking the crap out of Rutland was super fun too, especially when he got his ass kicked by a fifteen-year-old girl. PRICELESS! Anyway, patience is a virtue (*cough* Bullshit *cough*), so I will be back soon with Chapter 15...the story is coming close to an end, but don't fret my dears, for I am NEARLY DONE WITH THIS STORY, AND ONTO THE SEQUEL!! Stay tuned, and R&R!! =D**

**I love you... 0:) ...someone needs to make a fanfic called "If I had a Coconut"...just thought of that haha. Okay, moving on..........  
**


	15. The Ruins

**OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH!!! YES, I have seen thatnorskchick2's stuff!! In fact I think I was watching it as I uploading Chapter 14, hence why I threw that line in haha. I advise that everyone go and watch ALL of her stuff. It is quite hilarious, and still has me laughing, even after watching it hundreds of times!! Hahaha. Small world :)**

**Anyway, here is Chapter 15. There are only about five more chapters left, but I will immediately come back with the sequel, which I think will be even better than this one, because personally this one felt a bit rushed to me...kind of like getting my feet wet, you know? xD And I've already finished chapter one of the sequel, and let me tell you it is SMOKIN. You guys are going to totally love it. Better than this story, and that's me objectively speaking. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!  
**

**So read on...enjoy...and live life to the fullest!! =D (Even though I don't...)  
**

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* * *

  
**Lara and Kurtis pulled the Ducatis over at the edge of Puerto Cortes, peering into the gulf that lay ahead of them. Lara approached the water's edge, looking around thoughtfully. Where was this Fountain, and even better, where was this temple? Weren't they both supposed to be here?

Lara rose to her feet. "Some Fountain," she muttered.

"No doubt," Kurtis agreed. "Are you sure Alister got those coordinates right?"

Lara tapped into her headset. "Alister, are you certain about the Fountain's location?" She waited for a moment, but no response came. "Alister, hello?" she repeated. Still, nothing came. She sighed. "Why can we never get in contact with them when we need it the most?" she muttered.

"Not working?" Kurtis asked.

"Obviously not," she replied dryly. Lara gazed over the environment. Along the west side were various architectural structures, of Native American origin, by the looks of them. The Taino had definitely been here, but _where_ was the Lost Temple? "I hope to God that that isn't the 'Lost Temple'," Lara said, indicating the structures she was observing.

Kurtis turned and peered at them as well. "Yeah. That'd be the disappointment of a lifetime."

"I guess we'll have to check it out anyway," she sighed, trudging ahead. "There isn't much else we can do without Alister and Zip on the other line." Lara and Kurtis trekked deeper into the rainforest, heading towards the structures in the distance. They brushed past trees, plants, and life-size insects until they approached the ruins. Lara gazed over them, contemplating. "These ruins are just like those in the temple of Angkor Wat," she muttered, recalling the excursion she'd gone on with Werner Von Croy when she was sixteen years old. She quickly turned her mind from the horrors of that event, and back to what lay before her.

Vines were strewn about the ruins, and even from the distance where they stood, Lara could see dust floating about the dark entrance. The ruins had obviously not been trekked in several years, forgotten with time. Kurtis started forward, not bothering to wait for Lara. She eyed him suspiciously. _Who died and named him the leader?_ she thought sarcastically. She pushed the thought aside and followed him in, activating her LED light so they could peer about the various corridors inside the ruins.

Giant bugs scurried away upon Lara and Kurtis's approach, hiding into the dark corners. They followed the stone path deeper into the ruins, which sloped downward, descending into the depths of the unknown. Ahead, they could see a large, dark room, dimly lit by oil lamps lining the walls. The room was completely empty and completely dark. They continued forward, both disappointed and confused as to the arrangement of these strange rooms. Lara peered around, suspicious of the emptiness. She walked forward, glancing about the room, almost certain this had been a waste of time until she caught sight of something under the dirt which she stood upon.

"Hello, what's this…?" she muttered, bending down to brush away the dust. After a moment, a Taino glyph was revealed, and to her surprise, it was rather large. "'Terrible acts'," she read. She glanced about the floor for a moment, then crossed to the opposite side, bending down to brush away more dirt and reveal another glyph. _Fluids of the planet._ She began to kick away the dirt in a circular pattern, until five minutes later, the entire floor had been swept clean of dirt to reveal a large, circular pattern with glyphs along its edges.

"What does it say?" Kurtis asked.

Lara stepped back, taking in the entire scene. She read it in her head for a moment. Her face knit into confusion. "It doesn't make sense," she replied. "It's just a bunch of words, randomly arranged."

"Isn't that what it's been all along?" Kurtis reminded her.

He was right, to some extent. It had often been the game of "Which word doesn't belong?", but in this case, she was suspicious it was something else. She tried reading the glyphs backwards, coming to the same conclusion. Then, it clicked in her head. "It's the complementary glyph," she explained. "Like on the color wheel, each color's complement is on the opposite side." She peered across, skipping back and forth from side to side to read what finally made sense. "It's a letter of atonement," she explained. "Our masters, we have committed terrible acts. To protect the city, we have hidden the temple beneath the fluids of the planet, never to be seen again. The stone must never again be revealed." She looked over the glyph wheel, then approached the center, brushing away more dirt to reveal a small, circular groove.

"The stone," she said slowly. "I think we place it here." She rose, facing Kurtis.

"The temple is underwater," he said, finishing her thoughts. "Fluids of the planet. But they mean _underneath_ quite literally…"

They heard clapping hands behind them, and turned around, startled to see Rutland and his mercenaries surrounding them. Lara's gaze dropped on Andrea, standing just before the line of mercenaries. Lara immediately grew angry. _She must've led him to us somehow, _she assumed. How had she and Kurtis not heard them coming? Lara reached for her guns, but stopped when she realized it was pointless. Rutland dropped his hands, smirking. "Good job, kids," he chided. "That would've taken _me_ days, weeks even, to decipher. Thank God I've got you, Lara."

"The only thing you've got, Rutland, is on my last nerve," she retorted.

"That's not very nice," he chastised her. "Especially not when I have an undeniable offer for you."

"Not interested," she said, folding her arms over chest.

"Well, you haven't even heard it yet!" he said, grinning evilly. "And what choice do you have anyway?" He glanced back at his mercenaries, who steadied their weapons on the allies to further prove Rutland's claim.

"What do you want?" Lara asked flatly.

"In any standard situation like this," he began, stepping forward, "I would just have you killed right here and now. The only problem is that if I do that, who's going to find the temple for me?"

"I'm sure you would manage," Lara said dryly.

"You see, Lara, I've been overestimating this situation since the beginning," he said. "When I was trying to kill you, I should've been befriending you. Don't you get it? You have both the knowledge and the artifacts that I need!"

"Unfortunately for you, you have nothing that _I_ need," she said. "So this really isn't helping your case."

"Oh, really?" he asked, grinning. He glanced back, and through the line of mercenaries came two more, each gripping a captive – Zip and Alister. They protested as they were shoved forward onto their knees, fingers laced, and hands held behind their heads like criminals under arrest. "I suggest you rethink that claim," Rutland said, folding his arms over his chest.

Zip sighed. "Sorry, Lara," he apologized.

Lara looked from Alister, to Zip, then turned a glare to Rutland. "Let me guess…" she speculated, "Andrea led you there?" She felt anger erupting in the pit of her stomach at the girl's disloyalty, yet again.

"What can I say?" Rutland said. "She's a useful asset." Lara turned her attention towards Andrea, who closed her eyes, looking to the ground to avoid Lara's hateful glare. "So it seems to me that you have two choices, Lara – you can either resist arrest and be executed where you stand, or you can work with me, take me to the Lost Temple, and I'll spare your life and your friends' lives." He grinned. "What do you say?"

"And how do I know you will keep your word?" she asked. "How do I know that once I find the temple, you wouldn't then just try to kill me?"

"If you'd like, I could kill you now."

"I said _try,_ Mr. Rutland," she said, shooting him her own smirk.

He chuckled. "Touché!" he applauded. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

"How noble of you," Lara said dryly.

"Now if you don't mind," Rutland said, "I'm getting tired of waiting. Lead the way, _Miss_ Croft. Oh, but before you do…" He turned to his guards, nodding towards Kurtis. They proceeded forward, gripping his arms backwards. Rutland grinned at him as he removed the Chirugai from his belt, spinning it on his finger in the manner he'd adopted since the day he first took it, and turning to walk away. The guards then proceeded to frisk both Lara and Kurtis, removing their weapons. Lara turned a slow, evil glare from the guards to Rutland. "I advise you take good care of yourself, Rutland," she said in a low, hateful voice.

Rutland stopped walking and turned to approach her, just inches away from her face. "I advise that you get moving, Lara," he replied. He reached his hand up, inches from her face, cracking his knuckles into a fist as blue energy surged through his hand and fingers. "I wouldn't want to do you in too early, would I?" he grinned.

Lara turned away, clenching her fist to keep from socking Rutland in the face. She busied herself with the task of removing the stone from her backpack. She kneeled down by the socket in the center of the glyph wheel, placing the stone directly into the center. She stepped backwards, peering about the temple suspiciously.

"What the hell is going on?" Rutland asked.

"Oh, do shut up," she ordered him. Within seconds, the structure began to shake. The mercenaries, Andrea, Alister, and Zip fought to stand their ground, but Lara, Kurtis, and Rutland had had their fair share of "shaky grounds" in experiences like this – they stood tall, watching as the glyph wheel began to rotate slowly, descending further into the ground. Lara started forward, stepping onto the platform as it lowered. Kurtis followed after her, followed by Rutland and some of his goons. Kurtis and Rutland stayed up top, watching as the elevator descending, just in case it wasn't safe below.

The depths of the shaft grew darker, and the air became damp. Lara listened carefully. "I hear water," she said to herself, activating her LED light again. Once the platform had fully lowered, Lara felt water rushing to her ankles, and stopping at her knees. The stone in the center of the glyph wheel below her began to glow orange. She bent down, fishing for it through the water, and removed it from its insert, returning the glowing object to her backpack. Up ahead, she could see a long, dark corridor of water, with barely a foot of breathing space above it until one's head would touch the ceiling. _This is going to be fun,_ she sighed.

"Lara, what do you see?" Rutland called, peering in from the twenty feet or so above.

"Lots of water," she responded. "I think it would be a good idea if you waited here until I find out what lies ahead."

"And risk you stealing my glory?" Rutland called, scoffing. "I think not."

"Don't be silly," Lara sighed. "I wouldn't dream of running away without the chance to kill you first."

"Then if you're so adamant on going forward without me, you can go alone. I'll keep an eye on your friends from up here," he called.

"Spectacular," Lara muttered. "Do enjoy that." She sighed to herself as she dove forward into the water, praying that Kurtis would think of a way to evade the bastards upstairs so they could stand a chance against Rutland.

Lara continued forward, the water growing colder with each stroke she took. The passage eventually curved downward, and to the east, where Lara assumed was in the direction of the gulf. _So Alister had been right,_ she thought. She assumed that this temple, if at the end of this passage as she hoped for, would be located under the gulf's floor, hence it being "lost". _The Taino sure were clever in hiding this temple._

As Lara moved even further forward, she began to feel a current pulling her. She immediately assumed it to be some sort of river, but all rivers dump out to somewhere, and more often than not, the bottom of waterfall. She panicked, trying to steady herself against the wall to keep from moving with the current, but found it impossible. The water pushed her forward, growing faster with each second, until eventually, she saw the waterfall's peak up ahead. _Oh, how bloody fantastic,_ she thought. She drew in a deep breath, wrapped her arms around her legs into a ball, and prepared for the plunge. Several hundred feet down, Lara hit the basin's surface, glad that it was deeper than she had expected.

She surfaced for air, peering forward for the edge to the land, and climbed out. She immediately stopped, gazing in awe up at the massive stone temple that stood before her. "It's beautiful," she said in wonder. She started forward to the temple, noticing the large bronze doors that would block her entrance. How was she supposed to get them open? She wanted to find out what she could do before Rutland came and took over, so she could hopefully get the upper hand over him.

Although the guards had taken most of her weapons, they hadn't taken all of them. Lara managed to smuggle an unassembled pistol in her left boot and a clip in the right. She removed the items, assembled the weapon, hiding it in her backpack. If – no, when – the moment came, Lara would be prepared to handle Rutland.

"Find anything yet?" she heard Rutland say through her headset.

"How did you get on this channel?" she asked suspiciously.

"Took it from your buddy," he said, and she could tell he was grinning that stupid smirk. "How's it going?"

"I found the temple," she said. "Now it's up to you and your friends to come down the river and down the waterfall."

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," she answered. "Unless you brought rope…?"

"Of course I did," he said. "I come prepared. Find a way to stop the water's flow. _Then _we'll come down."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked. "Wave my hands and suggest the water to stop?"

"You'll figure something out," he chided.

Lara heard him click off the channel. She sighed to herself, heading back towards the waterfall, imaging herself punching Rutland swiftly in the face. She should've known that Rutland was too primitive to jump into a river and slide down a waterfall to get to the temple. There had to be something she could do.

Lara scaled the side of the waterfall, catching sight of some type of mechanism below the peak of the waterfall. _It looks like a dam, _she thought. She gripped the rocks, climbing higher up. Then, she realized there was a silver hook at the top of the dam. With one hand, she removed her grapple and threw it to the hook. She used the grapple to slide to the middle of the waterfall, climbing to the reach of the hook. She pulled herself up, using the walls of the river's cave to steady herself. Then, she pulled on the hook, causing the dam to rise and stop the water's flow. Lara released the grapple from the hook and slid down the walls into the still water. _Much better,_ she thought.

"If you want to see the temple," she said through the headset, "I suggest you come down here."

"Is the water stopped?" Rutland asked.

"No," she replied sarcastically, "I was hoping you'd jump in and test it for yourself. Mind the sharp rocks at the bottom, love."

He clicked off, not bothering to make any sarcastic comments of his own. Within minutes, she saw Rutland descending, followed by a few mercenaries, Kurtis, Andrea, Alister, and Zip. All three of her friends were pressed by weapons, should they attempt to break free. Rutland approached Lara. "So where is it?"

* * *

**Oh bugger. That Rutland fellow is quite the bastard, no? xD Always stealing away Lara's glory...**

**Anyway...I will return soon with Chapter 16!!! Continue reading and reviewing, please!!!!!!!!!**

**(BROCCOLI, What else do you know HOT DOG or I'll show you my COCONUT) =DDDD Aaaaahhhhh....I just cannot get over the fact that you watch her vids too. Haha. We are just like two peas in a pod...wait a minute! I forgot that I...DON'T...LIKE...PEAS!!! Hahaha. Okay, two green beans in a green bean stalk haha. Okay moving on!!! =DDD  
**


	16. The Letter

**Back again, everyone!! Thank you for your patience. Well, here we have Andrea's final flashback, thus explaining everything about her. Sorry...we don't go into the temple until the next chapter. This one is rather short. But stay tuned!! =D**

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Rutland's mercenaries dropped ropes over the dam for all to descend the ledges and make their way safely to the bottom. Rutland gazed at the temple in amazement, grinning as he folded his arms over his chest. "It's magnificent," he commented. "And I never could've found it without you, Lara."

"Well, it's my pleasure," she replied dryly.

"Glad to hear it," he returned. He moved forward, and his mercenaries urged the captives on as well. Lara made quick eye contact with Kurtis, as if asking if he had any plan. He looked away, leading her to assume he'd come up with nothing. This was just splendid. Once Rutland opened that temple, she and her friends were done for.

Andrea headed past Lara, but stopped before she left. "Lara…" she began.

"Don't," Lara stopped her. "I don't want to hear your excuses. I trusted you, and you betrayed me."

"No, I didn't!" she protested.

"Then what do you call all of this?"

Andrea glanced at Rutland, who was turned away, then looked back to Lara. "I can't explain now, but you have to trust me. I didn't sell you out."

"I've heard it before," Lara said. She turned away, ignoring the child's pleas. Andrea sighed to herself, watching the rest of the group trudge forward to the temple. She closed her eyes, grasping at the locket at her neck. Maybe if she would've protested leaving Utah with Rutland in the first place, almost two years ago, none of this would be going on right now. Then again, she'd also likely be dead, overtaken by the plague of her cancer. _At least no one else would have been in harm's way,_ she concluded, _and I could've just gone with my parents…if they died in the first place._ Andrea followed after the rest of the group, wishing she could come up with some kind of plan before they reached those large bronze doors.

_The helicopter's blades whirred in the air. Andrea peered out the window as the ground grew closer, the chopper descending towards the earth below. She wasn't sure what Rutland was going to show her, but he had assured her it was better than anything she'd have found in Tampa. She hardly agreed – unless he was taking her to some magic potion that would heal her cancer away._

_The engine of the hilo switched off, and Rutland's guards opened the hatch so all could exit. When Andrea stepped out, she was confused to find herself standing in the middle of a rainforest. "Where are we?" she asked Rutland._

"_We're standing right in the middle of the Bahamas," he replied, gazing over the sight before him._

"_What?" she asked. "Why are we here?"_

_He faced her. "There's something I have to show you."_

_Andrea wasn't sure why, but for some reason, she became nervous. "Like what?" she asked slowly._

"_It's a place called the Fountain of Youth," he replied. "Some ancient Native American healing spring, and I've found it."_

_Andrea slowly pieced things together. That was what he'd been working on all along. He didn't bring her to Tampa to help her – he wanted to find this Fountain, or whatever it was! She eyed him suspiciously. "Is that…is that what you've been working on? Finding this Fountain thing?"_

"_It's not just a 'Fountain thing', Andy," he replied. "It's so much more. Legend says it provides rejuvenation – but it also provides immortality."_

_She began to grow fearful of this man whom she'd put so much trust in. "It sounds like a bad ghost story," she said._

_He chuckled. "Farthest thing from it," he said. "Wouldn't you like to be healed?"_

"_That's what doctors are for," she said._

"_Nonsense," he argued. "I've found the Fountain of Youth, Andy, and I want to show it to you."_

_She backed away. "No, thanks."_

"_Aw, come on now," he urged. "It's not far from here."_

"_Why?" she asked. "Why do you want me to see it?"_

"_I want to know if it works."_

_Her stomach dropped. "Y-You want to use me as a test subject?"_

"_What's the worst that could happen?" he asked._

"_Why don't _you_ jump in and find out then?" she suggested._

_He chuckled. "_I'm_ not the one who is sick," he said._

"_If my father would've known that this was what you wanted me for, he would've –"_

"_Your parents are dead," Rutland said bluntly._

_Andrea stared at him, confused and afraid. "What? What do you mean?"_

_He sighed. "The news came last week. I couldn't…I couldn't bring myself to tell you."_

_Her eyes began to tear. "You're lying!" she said._

"_I wish I was," he replied bitterly. "But it's true."_

_Andrea glared at him, tears running down her cheeks. How could this man be so evil as to tell her that her parents had died, when it was obvious that he was lying? Her anger got the best of her, and she lurched herself towards him, swinging her fists at him. It wasn't much of threat, considering she was small and her fists bore no hazard, but she knew she needed to do something. One of Rutland's guards restrained her, and she fell limp to her knees. Rutland cleared his throat, smoothing his clothes. "If you'll behave," he said slowly, "I'll explain further."_

"_There's nothing to explain!" she said. "You're lying!"_

_He sighed, approaching her. "Let her go," he told the guards. He bent down near her, handing her a folded paper. "Just read this," he said. "It explains everything."_

_Andrea stared at the paper extended towards her, not daring to make eye contact with that bastard. After a moment, with shaky hands, she reached forward, pulling the paper into her possession. _

_She slowly opened it, reading it to herself. _Dear Andrea, _it began,_ This is your Aunt Ellen. I know we haven't spoken, much less seen each other in years, since your parents moved to Utah, but I have important news to send to you. It is my greatest regret, and heartache, to ever have to send such a letter as this. Just last week, I and your Uncle Derek received word of the most unfortunate event in your hometown of Salt Lake City. Your parents passed away, victims of a violent crime in the city. I cannot express how apathetic I am for you. I must tell you, though, that once your treatment concludes, you will be coming here to Michigan to live with us…

_Andrea let her arms slowly drop to her lap, refusing to read the rest of the letter. So it was true…unless…_

_Rutland handed her the envelope that the letter had been delivered in. She numbly took it from him, the stamp in the corner having been processed. The return address was that of her aunt's in Michigan. Andrea had had suspicion that Rutland had fabricated the letter – why would he? – but this stamp and address proved otherwise. Her parents were gone, and worse yet, she had just barely found out._

"_I'm sorry, Andrea," Rutland said empathetically._

"_Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered._

_He sighed. "I didn't…I didn't know how. And I wanted you to still have something to…look forward to."_

_She gazed past him – a hollow gaze of shock and fear. "I have nothing to look forward to now."_

_He bent down near her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you come with me to the Fountain, you will."_

_She looked up at him angrily. "After everything, _everything_ that's happened, you still go on about that damn thing?" she shouted. "You don't care! You just want to find your stupid Fountain!"_

_He stood up, the sympathy leaving as quickly as it had come. "The sentimental is stupid," he said pointedly. "You have to move on. There are bigger things out there for you, Andy, so I suggest you focus on that and not what you can't change." He paced in front of her slowly. "I need your help with something. There's a woman in London – Lara Croft. I need you to find her for me."_

"_I'm not going anywhere with you," she said flatly. "I hate you."_

"_I don't think you have a choice, kid," he said. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted by the arms by two of Rutland's guards, and being dragged into the depths of the tropical forest of the Great Exuma. "I promise you won't be disappointed," Rutland said, grinning evilly. _

"Andrea!" Rutland shouted. "Get moving!" Andrea startled from her daydream, looking up to see Rutland calling to her from the front of the temple. She sighed quietly to herself, starting forward to the rest of the group outside of the temple. _I have to think of a way to help them,_ she thought. _I got them into this whole thing; I've got to get them out._

"How the hell do we open it?" Rutland complained.

Lara sighed. "Patience is a virtue, Rutland," she chided.

"I don't have time to be patient," he argued. "We'll blow it open."

"If you respected history a bit more, you might find yourself in fewer predicaments," she sighed. "Give me a minute and I'll figure something out." She scanned over the building visually, looking for some kind of lever, or button, or switch, or even a window to climb through. She let her fingers fall over the glyphs on the door. There were pictograms of a fountain and of a glowing stone. Then, Lara remembered the stone. She reached into her backpack and held the glowing object towards the door. Within seconds, the doors opened inward, and dimly-lit halls were revealed.

She glanced back at Rutland with a 'told-you-so' look. As she prepared to return the stone to her backpack, she felt a grip on her wrist. Rutland stopped her, plucking the stone from her hands. "I think I'll take that off your hands now," he said, grinning. "Let's go in."

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**There you have it!! I know it seems a little rushed, but hey. Isn't that what this WHOLE story's been? I know I keep saying it...but the sequel is SO MUCH MORE PROMISING. Into Chapter 3 already!! =D**

**To OveractiveImaginer...someone ought to take all of the little jokes and stuff from Thatnorskchick2's Lara videos, compress them into a one-shot fanfic, and give it to her for her birthday!! Haha. I think it would be funny. She might really like it! Her fans showing their appreciation to her and all...*sigh* Good times. xD  
**


	17. The Lost Temple

**Well, the impracticalities of my story - and all the Tomb Raider games, rather - only provide more humor and enjoyment. I just had to address that. I was think of the other day when I was playing Legend and was narrating Lara's every move..."How convenient that these ancient civilizations have placed this narrow ledge here for me to vault onto so I can get into their seemingly secret temple and reverse their ancient spells! The producers at Crystal Dynamics are so kind. They give you all these conveniently placed ledges and conveniently placed motorbikes and quads so you can conveniently catch up with the baddies." Yeah, I just had to go off on a rant there. Haha.  
**  
**Yes, Rozzyrox, I must agree...though Rutland is a total dick, he is a pretty cool character!! xD**

And here's a little clue I should've given you guys earlier...isn't it convenient how Kurtis was from Salt Lake City AND Andrea was from Salt Lake City? Just keep it in mind...

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The group descended the wide corridor, down the stone path, and past the oil lamps along the wall. _We've got to think of something, _Lara thought frantically with each step she took. The further into the temple they descended, the closer Rutland got to obtaining immortality.

Then, before their eyes sat a small pond, centered in the main chamber of the temple. There were pictograms and glyphs along all of the gold-tinted walls. The ceiling had a circular hole cut out, where the light illuminated downward upon the basin. A stone pathway led from the main grounds to the platform at the back end of the water.

"So this…" Rutland said in awe. "_This_ is the Fountain of Youth." Everyone, even the mercenaries, gazed about the temple in amazement. Lara approached the wall, gently glazing her fingers over the glyphs. When she looked down at her palm, the gold specks had fallen upon her gloves. _That's odd,_ she thought. It almost looked like spray-paint.

Suddenly, Lara felt a rough hand grab her arms from behind. Guards had taken her, Kurtis, Alister, and Zip captive, gripping them by the arms as they all faced the Fountain. Rutland stood before them, arms over his chest, a smug grin on his face. "I want to thank you, Lara, for helping me find this place," he said. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Like I said," she said, grinning sarcastically. "It's always a pleasure."

"Since I'm a nice guy and all, I think it's only fair that I let you and your buddies live long enough to see the fruits of your labor." One of the mercenaries approached Rutland, handing him a small vial. He grinned down at Lara, then turned around, the stone in one hand and the vial in the other. He drew in a deep breath and walked forward along the stone path, walking towards the platform.

Lara glanced around, wishing there was something she could do. The gun was still in her backpack, but she couldn't exactly get to it. She couldn't believe, after all she'd done, Rutland was getting away with this. And if Andrea hadn't betrayed them, this probably wouldn't be happening.

Rutland approached the platform, setting the glowing stone into the socket it belonged in. He twisted of the cork of the vial, tipping the bottle, preparing to pour it over the stone. Then, without expectation, he was thrust forward into the stone wall before him. The vial went flying in the opposite direction, the glass shattering and the water spilling on the stone ground. Rutland shook his head, looking up to see Andrea standing at the base of the path, staring at him between the distance. He remained where he was for a moment, shocked, then enraged when he realized the vial was broken. "You bastard!" he shouted. "You destroyed it!" He slowly rose to his feet. "The only elixir from the Fountain of Retribution…you've destroyed it!"

Andrea just stared on at him, her hands tense, her glare fixed to match his eyes. Lara stared at Andrea, mesmerized. Had she been planning that attack all along? What would happen now?

Rutland stared at her evilly, taking slow, threatening steps towards the girl that had rid him of his glory. His hands shook as he clenched them into fists at his side. Then, they began to glow with the blue psychic energy, brought on by rage, hatred, and revenge. Andrea glared back at him, her own fists glowing with orange energy, lacking the emotions of rage that plagued Rutland's being. "After everything I've done for you…" he bellowed. "I was going to take you back home to Salt Lake City after all this was finished."

"I seriously doubt that," Andrea retorted.

"You don't stand a chance now," Rutland told her. "Not when I'm done with you." He surged a blow of telepathic energy towards her, but she quickly blocked it, countering with her own psychic attack.

Lara knew that while the 'immortals' battled, now would be the time for them to escape. She quickly threw her head backwards, butting heads with the mercenary. He loosened his grip, and she elbowed him roughly in the stomach. She stomped on his foot, quickly turned, grabbed his head, and pulled it towards her knee, knocking him unconscious. The other guards began to react, but Kurtis was creating enough of a diversion to keep their attention away from Lara. Lara quickly grabbed the downed guard's SMG rifle and opened fire on the other guards, leaving just Kurtis, Alister, Zip, and herself.

When Lara looked up, Kurtis was taking hold of his previously confiscated Boran X, Zip was standing to the side casually, and Alister was standing in shock and fear. Lara tossed an M16 assault rifle to Zip and a small firearm to Alister. "Take these and get out of here," she instructed. "Keep in contact with me via headset, _only_ if something goes wrong, do you understand?"

"Got it, Lara," Zip said. Zip turned, leading the way as Alister nervously followed, not used to holding a gun in his hand. She watched them until they disappeared up the corridor, certain they would be okay, then turned her attention back to the dueling Rutland and Andrea. "It looks like the tables are turning," Lara said.

"We need to get my Chirugai back and destroy the stone," Kurtis said quickly.

"You get the Chirugai," Lara directed, "and I'll get a hold of the stone." She turned away, but felt Kurtis grip her wrist. She looked up at him strangely.

"Be careful," he warned. "He's on the warpath."

"I noticed," she said sarcastically, even though she appreciated his concern. She gently pulled away, holding his gaze for the briefest moment. Then, she turned to the right, preparing to circle around the back of the platform and take the stone from there. It would be far too conspicuous if she just reached the platform and tried to grab the stone – despite Rutland being busy attacking Andrea, he would notice, and would turn his attention to Lara. She needed to let him stay focused on the child. Somehow, she would have to reach the platform unnoticed.

Lara quickly looked over the surroundings about the inside of the Fountain's temple. There were pillars in the corners at the edges of the Fountain. Lara could probably use that to her advantage – the problem was that if she did so, the temple would collapse. _I should probably stay away from those, then,_ she thought. Then, the idea hit her.

Lara headed in the direction of the stone, rounding about the Fountain's edges on the right to approach the platform from behind. She set foot in the Fountain's waters behind the platform, feeling a sense of physical well-being overtake her. _So it really does work,_ she thought passively. She reached across the platform for the stone, doing so as slowly as possible. Then, Rutland turned to face her, a glare of hatred in his eyes. He surged a wave of energy after her, and she dodged out of harm's way to the ground outside of the Fountain. The platform exploded. Lara was thrilled for a moment, until she saw the stone was still intact, flying through the air to land on the opposite side of the Fountain. _Bugger! That didn't work,_ she thought, upset that the stone hadn't been completely destroyed. She would have to come up with a Plan B.

She looked around for Kurtis, who had been rounding about on the opposite side. She assumed his plan would be to take the Chirugai by surprise, but how was that going to work from the position he was in?

While Rutland had been distracted by Lara, Andrea had managed to send a forceful blow of energy in his direction, sending him flying backwards. He hit the stone wall hard, dislodging some of its structure as he fell to the ground. He shook his head clear of the minor headache coming on, looking up at Andrea angrily. Then, he realized that just before him sat the stone. He chuckled as he reached for it, waving it about in his hand as he rose to his feet. He turned to face Lara, who was slowly rising to her feet as well.

"Look what I've got," he said, grinning.

_Bugger._ "Oh, that piddly little thing?" Lara said passively. "It's all the same to me." _Not really…_She resorted to the last thing she thought to do. Removing her guns, she trained the weapons steadily on the stone in Rutland's hand, preparing to blow the thing away. It was a stupid idea, she should've known, because Rutland was already preparing an orb of energy to thrust in her direction.

Lara was braced to dive out of harm's way, but Rutland became immediately distracted when the Chirugai yanked itself away from his belt and into Kurtis's grasp. Lara grinned to herself, Rutland shocked and enraged. By this point, Rutland must've felt like the monkey in the middle, ganged up by three allies that stood against his craze. He quickly turned to face Kurtis and sent the orb of energy his way, impaling his stomach.

"No!" Lara shouted, her stomach dropping with the fear that Kurtis could be dead in just minutes. Kurtis flew backwards into the stone wall, slumping to the ground, apparently unconscious. Lara's face turned from fear to anger. She was no longer worried about the stone – she wanted Rutland.

Lara armed her weapons, trained them at Rutland's chest, and fired away, emptying the clips into his body. She knew it was useless, but she needed to avenge Kurtis in some way. It was the second time that he had died – from her perspective anyway. She didn't want to mourn his death, but if Rutland made it so, she would kill him, bring him back from the dead, and kill him again.

Rutland's unconditioned response was to startle as the bullets entered his body, but after a few shots, he glared evilly at Lara, clenched his fist, and let his body engulf in a blue psychic energy of rage. He surged his rage in her direction, knocking her into the opposite wall. Then, he returned to Andrea, who was gathering her own strength to attack him. Easily, he fended it off, and then retaliated with his own force. Andrea's body flew backwards into the air, and the next thing she knew, she had landed in the shallow waters of the Fountain. Her arms flung around violently, searching for the surface so she could breathe.

Then, she realized she didn't want to surface. Here she sat, in the waters of the Fountain of Youth. Andrea stopped flinging her arms, letting her body float weightlessly. She felt a sense of healing coming over her, almost as distinct as setting foot into cold bath water after being under a hot sun all day – it was just that apparent.

_Is this how it should feel? _Andrea thought. _Is the cancer gone?_ She surfaced after another moment, standing in the knee-deep water. Rutland stood before her staring in awe. It took her a moment to realize why he had stopped, but then, she saw it. The orange glow that usually emitted from her body in instances of rage was now flowing through her arms, almost with the similarity of electrical arcs surging through live wires. Andrea gazed down at her arms and her hands, possibly in more shock than Rutland. After several moments, the energy stopped flowing, and Andrea felt…good.

"I feel…" she said slowly, gazing down at her hands. "I feel…like new." She looked up at Rutland, a subtle smile forming on her face. For that moment in time, she forgot about Rutland attacking her and her friends, and she turned to him like a child proud of his good grades would turn to his parent for praise.

"You were right," Andrea told him. "You were right about the Fountain. It's real, and it works!"

"Congratulations," he said dryly. "Your parents would be proud. Too bad you won't be alive long enough to see it." The next thing she knew, Rutland was sending another surge of energy her way. She attempted to block it, but her stomach dropped when she realized that her powers were completely gone. She saw the wave of blue energy coming her way, ever so slowly. She had seen it happen in movies, but in reality, when one faces death, it is just the same – slow, as life flashes before your eyes.

She felt a burning wind of pain hit her with full force in the stomach, and she was sure she was capsizing inwardly. She flew backwards into the wall, the breath leaving from her chest. She fell to the ground, feeling the full extent of power coming from one of Rutland's attacks. _So this is how it feels to be alive,_ she thought, lying on the ground in pain.

Andrea moved to stand up, to go back and challenge Rutland. As she sat up, she felt an intense wave of pain seeping through her entire being. She groaned in pain as she gripped her stomach. Then, she coughed, spitting blood into her hands. A horrid flashback of the event in Rutland's condo in Miami when she'd first begun spitting up blood came to her mind, but then settled – in a rather different way – when she realized that she was internally bleeding.

Andrea hadn't thought of this possibility – not since she'd begun this expedition with Rutland. Thoughts of death were the farthest thing away. But now, as blood began to spill from her mouth, and she began to feel consciousness slipping away, she was certain she was coming face to face with death. _So this is what it feels like to die…_

_

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_**It is not a cliffie. Andrea actually DID die...just keep the words loose in context xD I'm sorry. I just love to throw in strange twists. Well, needless to say I might not update until Monday because I want to have some time to work on the sequel so you guys don't catch up with me. I'm making the chapters full of detail and quite long, so I'd say it 100 times better than this one. So bear with me. Monday at the latest will be the Chapter 18 update! Then only two chapters to go after that! =D**


	18. Sacrifice

**Hello all, back by Monday as promised! How are you all doing? Well, here is Chapter 18. I know I got a lot of GASPs from my fans regarding the last chapter...and you're going to hate me even more in this one, and YET EVEN more in the next one, but have faith in me...it's all working out for the better aka the sequel. So stay tuned, and keep reviewing! =D**

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Lara had seen the whole thing from where she lay. She saw the 'psychic ailments' leaving Andrea's body. She saw Rutland attack her. Now, she saw her lying on the ground, either dead, or on her way. Then, Lara turned in the other direction, and saw the man she loved lying in the same pain on the ground. How had she managed to survive such an attack? No doubt, she was in pain, but she wasn't injured. She was going to have to avenge both of her fallen friends. Rutland wasn't going to get away with this.

Lara groaned as she struggled to her feet, feeling achy and weary. She wasn't sure what she was going to do – Rutland was superhuman, _and _he had the stone in his possession. Each of her pistols only had one clip left, not that it mattered anyway.

Lara needed to think of a plan immediately, but it was easier said than done. She took her pistols at hand, doing the only thing she could think to do. She felt a pang of guilt flow through her heart at the thought of all the times she'd accused Andrea of betrayed her. _If I could take it back, I would,_ she thought.

Lara tapped into her headset. "Zip, Alister, are you there?"

"We're here, Lara," Zip replied a moment later. "What's going on?"

"They're…they're both down," she said solemnly. "I need a plan. Any ideas?" Rutland slowly turned to face her, apparently hearing her requests to her distant friends. The grin on his face told her what she feared – he knew that he was going to win.

"If you don't have the stone," Zip said, "then your only choice is to destroy the temple."

"I-I can't," she stuttered. "Andrea and Kurtis…"

"Lara…" Zip breathed. _They're already gone,_ he would've said, but he couldn't. Lara knew he was right. The temple needed to fall, so Rutland would fall with it. Regretfully, Lara holstered her weapons, stepping closer to Rutland as his fists ignited into blue flames.

"Rutland, this is preposterous," she chided.

"Is it now?" he asked. "If you would've just done what I said, none of this would've happened."

"I'm so sure," she replied. "You're telling me you had no intentions to kill Andrea, or me, or Kurtis?"

He glanced back at Andrea, scoffing. "She dug her own grave," he said simply. "And you and Kurtis were just extra factors. I'm surprised you've been able to last this long, though."

"Well, I appreciate the admiration," she replied dryly.

He stared on at her, then the flames in his fists depleted. "You know, Lara, this is just stupid. Why do we keep fighting? Clearly, we're meant to do this together. Why do you think we're the only ones who have kept up so long?"

"Because you're immortal, and I'm me," she said, folding her arms over chest.

He chuckled. "I hardly agree," he replied. "I think we should do this together." He held up the stone. "What do you say? Immortality does hold its benefits…"

"I think not," Lara said. "After I've seen the results from both yours and Andrea's arrangements, I'll stay as far away as I can get."

He sighed, his fists beginning to glow again. "Well, that's too bad," he said. "You would've been welcome in my world." With a final gaze in her direction, he surged his energy her way. _Perfect,_ Lara thought. With her remaining strength, she dived out of harm's way, the wave of energy impaling the pillar behind her. It collapsed in half, the temple shaking underneath the lack of support. Both Lara and Rutland fought to stand their ground, but Lara made a special effort to reach the next pillar. That was all she needed – two down, and the temple would collapse.

Rutland glared at her angrily, sending another bolt of energy her way. She dived out of the way yet again, the bolt impaling the second pillar. _You'd think he'd learn,_ Lara thought as the temple shook worse than before. Now, though, she was conspicuous, right in the middle of his warpath. She'd cheated death too many times – now, things would change.

Andrea struggled to sit up on her hands. _If I could just reach my backpack,_ she thought. Even thinking was a struggle, but she managed to do it. Andrea's backpack was still strapped to her back, but sitting up to take it off would be a challenge.

Andrea could hear Rutland and Lara conversing, _God knows about what._ By this point, she'd assumed that that was Lara's way of manipulating the situation. Hopefully it would buy her some time.

Pain seeped through her entire being as she sat up, angling her body so she could remove the backpack from her back. It took several moments, but finally, she managed to do so. She gasped to bite back the pain creeping up in her abdomen. She pulled apart the strap keeping the backpack shut, and removed the bottle of water inside. She poured the elixir down her throat, swallowing the bittersweet fluids. Then, seconds later, the pain subsided, the bleeding stopped, and her hands began to shake violently as the psychic powers returned to her. _Here we go again,_ she sighed in her mind.

Just as Andrea stood, she fought to regain her footing. She looked up to see one of the pillars collapsing. Now was her chance. Fighting for her composure, she made her way towards the path in the middle of the Fountain, sneaking behind Rutland as his attention remained on Lara. Moments later, the second pillar began to collapse. Lara was left standing in the open, sure to be impaled by his bolts of energy.

Andrea took advantage of the moment and shot her own wave of energy his way. He flew forward, falling against the ground. He shook his head clear of the pain, standing slowly to face Andrea. "How the hell are you still alive?" he asked angrily.

"Thank the Fountain of Retribution," she replied, clenching her fist with orange energy.

The temple continued to collapse all around, and Andrea saw Lara moving in the distance in the direction of Kurtis's body.

"That's fine," Rutland replied. "I'll just kill you again." Rutland sent another wave of energy in Andrea's direction. She dodged his final attack, and sent her own energy his way. Everything worked out exactly like she'd planned. When her attack hit him with full force, he stumbled backwards, straight into the waters of the Fountain of Youth.

Andrea stood above him as he struggled to his feet. He screamed in rage and anger at the loss of his psychic abilities. Angry, he climbed out of the water and onto the path, staring at Andrea with more anger than he'd ever shown her before. "You ruined everything!" he shouted, backhanding her. She fell down on the stone path. Before she could retaliate, he grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her into the Fountain's water, again ridding her of her psychic powers.

Rutland climbed into the pool after her, grabbing her by the throat and holding her under. Her arms waved around frantically, struggling to reach air. Here she was, not dying by the cancer she'd feared for years, but dying at the hands of the man she'd trusted for so long. He was trying to _drown_ her. Andrea's strength began to slip away as the air escaped from her lungs. She knew Rutland was going to kill her – she was sure of it.

Then, from underneath the surface, she saw him lose grip on her. Andrea swam to the surface quickly, coughing as her lungs drew in air. Lara had come to her rescue, dragging Rutland out of the Fountain and onto dry land.

"You've lost your mind more than I could've ever managed," Lara said spitefully.

Rutland breathed hard, both angry and exhausted all-in-one. "She ruined it all," he said in a low, evil voice. "She needs to pay for it."

"No, Rutland," Lara argued. "You've made your bed – now lie in it."

He stared evilly at her, dreading the same words he'd exacted on so many others time and time again. Then, he removed a pistol he'd had tucked in the back of the waistband of his pants. He moved to shoot Lara right between the eyes, but she had been faster than him. She knocked his arm away with one hand and thrust her palm upwards into his nose with the other, sending him to the ground unconscious.

"That's quite enough of that," Lara muttered. She sighed, even in the midst of the continued collapse of the temple. Then, she turned her attention to the sad girl still sitting in the water. Even though Rutland had tried to kill her – not just this time, but all the times before, mentally, emotionally, and physically – she'd still had some faith in him regardless. Now, Lara could only imagine that she felt completely alone. Ironically, it was the same way she'd felt when Werner had betrayed her in Egypt. Lara pushed the thoughts aside, and reached a hand towards the girl. "We need to get out of here," she said as compassionately as she could. Andrea sighed quietly to herself, then reached for Lara's hand. She stepped out of the water, refusing to look down at Rutland's unconscious body. How could she have trusted him all this time?

Lara quickly made her way towards Kurtis, who was struggling to sit up. Luckily, he wasn't injured too badly – for the most part, he was just bruised, and sore. His ankle was twisted though, and it would be difficult for him to walk on. Andrea exhaled, relieved that he had survived Rutland's attack.

"Take him into the water," Andrea told Lara.

Lara glanced up, ready to do as the girl instructed – at least, until she saw the remaining pillars coming down, and the stones falling into the water. "I don't think that's an option," Lara said regretfully. "We need to get out of here quickly."

Lara pulled his arm over her shoulder, preparing to help guide him out of the collapsing temple. There wasn't much Andrea could do to help, so she headed towards the exit of the temple. As soon as she reached the exit, one of the remaining two pillars collapsed, blocking the exit. She dived out of harm's way, bewildered that they might actually die in here.

"Lara, the exit is blocked off!" she shouted.

Lara glanced around frantically. There was no alternate way out. What were they going to do? "The stone," Kurtis managed to mutter.

"What?" Lara asked.

"It might have enough juice to blow open the exit," he said.

"It's the only idea we've got," Lara concluded. Andrea approached the couple, panicking. "But if we use it, we might not make it out…"

Andrea looked up fearfully. "W-What do you mean?"

"We won't have enough time to get through the rubbish and get out safely. The temple will be down by that time," she said solemnly.

Andrea thought hard. What was there to do? Then, a horrid idea came to her – but perhaps it was the only alternative. She closed her eyes, clasping at the necklace around her neck. "I'll do it," she breathed quietly.

Lara quickly looked her way. "No," she said.

"Lara, if I don't stay to clear the exit, both of you will die."

"A life for a life isn't worth it, Andrea," Lara argued.

"I'd rather die honorably than cowardly," Andrea said.

"What about your parents?"

Andrea looked down. "They…" She stopped, sighing. "I don't know. I wish I could just know if they were alive or not…"

"Where did you say you were from?" Kurtis interrupted.

"Salt Lake City," she said. "In Utah."

"Your father's name…" Kurtis said slowly. "Was it Henry?"

Andrea looked up at him with lightning speed. "Yes, it was. How did you know that?"

"He was friends with my family," Kurtis said. "Henry Rogen. I remembered that he had a daughter, whom he called Andy."

"And my mother, Susan…" Andrea said. "My aunt sent me a letter. She said they were killed. Rutland told me that they weren't." She made eye contact with Kurtis. "Are they alive?"

Kurtis held her gaze for a moment, then looked down, sighing. "No," he said. "A man named Karel killed them. He was trying to kill me, but instead killed my family, and all the people around them." He looked up at the girl. "I'm so sorry, Andrea."

Andrea looked away, a tear falling across her cheek. "Somehow, I knew," she said quietly. "I just knew…" She remained gazing down at the floor for a moment, then she met Kurtis's gaze, a look of duty and focus in her eyes. "I'll do it," she repeated.

"Andrea…" Lara said slowly.

"Lara, don't," Andrea said firmly. "I have nothing else."

"You can't just give up," Lara said.

"I'm not giving up," Andrea argued. "I'm fighting back," she said. "If we all die, Rutland wins. If I die, he loses it all."

Lara held the young girl's gaze for a moment, despite the temple collapsing around them, and despite Kurtis's full weight slung around her shoulder. She would've protested until the end of time, and even dragged the girl out of the temple herself, but the look in her eyes told Lara that she'd already reserved herself to this duty. Andrea had already accepted her fate, pushed past the remorse, and understood that this was the only way. After all, all she'd wanted to know was whether or not her parents were alive. _It doesn't have to be,_ Lara thought. _It shouldn't be…_

Andrea wouldn't allow her to protest any further. She drew in a deep breath, then turned away towards Rutland's body. She closed her eyes as she gripped his wrist with one hand, and fumbled around for the stone with her other. She couldn't bear to look at him. Andrea stood up, facing away from his body, gazing down at the glowing stone in her palm._ Let's see what this thing can do,_ she thought.

"When I give you the word," Andrea instructed, "run." Lara stared at her for a moment, unsure if she was really going to go through with this. Then, she nodded, facing away from the brave fifteen-year-old girl, heading towards the pillar that blocked their exit.

Andrea drew in a deep breath. _This is the way it has to be,_ she convinced herself. Then, she drew back, the stone in her hand. She thrust her arm forward, energy emitting from it and surging towards the pillar. The pillar blew away, revealing the exit to them. Andrea smiled, both shocked and astounded by her job well done. Lara faced her. "Andrea, quick! You can still make it out!"

"Run, Lara!" she ordered, ignoring Lara's protests. "I said run!" Lara made eye contact with her for the briefest moment, then drew in a deep breath, running as fast as she could while helping hold Kurtis up. She glanced backwards, hoping to communicate one final thought to Andrea. _Thank you,_ her face read. Andrea's eyes teared as she nodded, _You're welcome._ Then, the temple collapsed completely, Andrea's figure disappearing from Lara's vision, and waters from the Fountain splashing about.

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**See I told you she hadn't technically died...not yet...but there you have it. Andrea has been bold and daring, dying honorably. I don't feel too bad because she was my own character so yeah...well, I will have Chapter 19 up on Thursday!! And then only one chapter after...CH 20 isn't really a chapter, it's like an epilogue. Okay stay tuned!!!!**


	19. Easy Way Out

**So I couldn't wait until Thursday. I figured...what the hell?! Only two posts left, why not?**

The final real chapter rests here. You guys are going to terribly hate me, but I stand by my...story...? Because the sequel (which is already eight long chapters in btw) is going to rock this one out of the park, and then the trilogy (YES, I have plans for a third installment) is going to be...okay I need to stop giving things away. I'm just so excited!!! xD Okay, well...read on, and try not to kill me.......

**Btw, thank you Yasmine! I could not tolerate writing a story with a happy-go-lucky ending, either. Let's face reality - the truth hurts. Haha. I'm a bit of realist, if you didn't notice... =D**

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**Lara gazed over the night ocean at the northern edges of Honduras from her hotel window, her arms folded over her chest defensively as thoughts swamped her mind. Today was the last day. Today was the day that everything would end. Everyone would pack up their things and go home tomorrow – wherever that was.

Lara knew that they said that 'home is where the heart is', and her heart wasn't in London – it was with Kurtis. It always would be, no matter where he went. Lara sighed to herself, feelings of anxiety and loneliness seeping into her being. Kurtis was going to leave, and when he left, she would be alone. She wouldn't have anything left of him, except the memories in her heart.

She felt gentle hands caress her bare arms, and she startled. When she realized it was Kurtis, though, she relaxed. She felt his lips gently kiss her shoulder, and his hands wrap around her abdomen, pulling her body into his. She closed her eyes, reveling in the moment, wishing it would never end. She reached her hands up, covering his with her own, and tilting her head backwards as Kurtis's lips grazed her neck.

Lara knew she should resist him – this wasn't possible. There wasn't anything to be gained from loving this man, only things to be lost, like her heart, and her grip on her control. She knew that this was pointless, and if she went through with it, she would only hurt more.

Kurtis must've read her mind, because he reached forward, closing the curtains to the window so that they were engulfed in the darkness of the night. He did exactly what Lara feared he would do – he wasn't going to let her get away with it. "You're so tense," he remarked, dropping another kiss on her shoulder.

"I'm…I'm tired," she replied quietly.

"Some rest should do you good," he said suggestively. "In bed…with me…" _I would love that,_ Lara thought, but she knew she shouldn't. She knew she couldn't go through with it. She knew…

And then, somehow none of it mattered. _If this is the last time,_ she thought, _so be it._ She turned around, separating from his embrace, and reaching up around his neck to pull his lips towards hers. She kissed him more passionately than she could ever manage, wanting to feel every last inch of him. She could feel this matched desire in him, because he grabbed her thighs and pulled her up, holding her body with the strength in his arms. He laid her gently on the bed, climbing over her as he continued to trail kisses down her bare flesh. _If this is the last time, _she thought, _it'll be the last memory I keep with me._

She closed her eyes, letting Kurtis take her over, and fighting back tears that would destroy her entire soul if she shed even one of them.

Lara lay awake on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Kurtis's arm was draped over her stomach, as he lay asleep at her side, looking as breath-taking as he always did. Even with a thin sheet separating the bare skin of his arm from the bare skin of her stomach, she could still feel the heat emitting from his body. In a way, she was glad that he couldn't entirely touch her – the more distance put between them at this point, the better.

Lara stared up at the speck of light on the ceiling. Then, she turned her head to the right, glancing at the alarm clock that read 3:11 a.m. Kurtis had fallen asleep a good two hours ago, but Lara had too much on her mind to delve into unconsciousness. She turned her head fully to the left, gazing at Kurtis's sleeping face. A tear fell from her right eye, slipping over the bridge of her nose, and into the sheets.

She couldn't believe how she was letting herself go. Lara _never_ grew attached, at least to men who could be considered anything more than friends. She couldn't deny it at all – she was in love with Kurtis. She wanted to feel him, to taste him, to have him – always. But she knew, with the most painful regret and ache in her heart, that none of this could happen. In the morning, he would leave – wherever he was going. And God only knew if she would see him again.

Lara sighed, sitting up as quietly as she could manage, holding the sheets against her body. She stared out to the left, gazing at the moon in the sky beyond the open window. She reached to the floor, retrieving her garments to clothe herself once again, and then trudged towards the window, gazing out.

Proximity was certainly an issue. If Kurtis wasn't here, or anywhere around here, with this undefined space between them, Lara would certainly feel better. She knew she would. She couldn't wait until morning to know what would happen, though. It was eating away at her slowly, and if she had to wait, it would kill her.

"Hey," Kurtis said softly. She startled, unaware that he was awake. She turned to face him, smiling subtly. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She gazed out the window again, facing away from him. "I can't sleep." She heard him sigh, and rise from the bed. _Please don't come over here,_ she thought. She heard his heavy footsteps behind her, and felt the heat from his body as he stood behind her, placing his gentle touch on her bare shoulders. She closed her eyes, pang seeping through her being as she braced herself to speak. "Please…" she said slowly. "Please don't touch me."

Lara felt his body still, and she knew she'd hit him, and hit him hard. "What?" he asked quietly. "Lara, are you alright?"

Tears slowly came to her eyes. "I don't…"

Kurtis gently turned her around to face him, searching her face for some explanation. "What's wrong?" he asked compassionately. "Why are you…why are you pushing me away?"

She sighed, trying to block out the sound of his voice. "Who are we kidding?" she asked. "This…this is pointless."

"_What_ is pointless?" he asked.

"Whatever this is that's going on between us," she said. "It's not even practical."

He stared into her eyes, confused and shocked. His hands slipped from her shoulders with dead weight. "Not _practical_?" he asked. "Loving each other isn't _practical_?"

"You had to say love…" she muttered, turning away to cover her face.

"Practical for whom, Lara?" he asked, as though she hadn't spoken. "Certainly not for you…"

"Oh, please," she begged. "Don't be such a martyr."

"If anyone's being a martyr, it's you," he shot back. "The minute you give your trust to someone, you just _have_ to open your eyes to make sure the ground beneath you isn't falling apart. Then, you want to act like it's everyone else's fault but your own, just so you don't have to blame yourself in the morning."

"What a nice little speech," she said hollowly. "I'm sure you've been preparing it for two years now."

"So it's back to that, is it?" he asked. "Beating me down for not coming back for two years? I explained what happened, and I told you I was sorry, and I meant it. Apparently, compassion and honesty just isn't enough for you."

"You know what, Kurtis," she said slowly, swallowing as the next statement came out of her mouth. "Maybe it just isn't. I don't know what you expect of me. What is it you want? Love? A family? A domestic house wife? I can't give or be any of those things –"

"You don't know what I want, so don't use that as an excuse," he said. "And don't act like I've ever put any expectations on you. If anything, I've been more than understanding. Life is like a box of puzzle pieces for you – you know how to put them together, but you just don't want to."

"And what does that mean?" she asked angrily.

"It means that you want to love me, and have me, and make love to me, and touch me, but you don't want to mix it with the trust to make it all function as the big picture," he said flatly. "Believe it or not, casual sex isn't what I want from you."

She gazed into his eyes. _How did it come to this?_ she thought. Two hours ago, they were making love, and now, they were arguing – and over what? Lara realized she didn't really have anything to go on – she was releasing her feelings and emotions in random order, and not in the way they should be.

Lara knew what she needed to do. She knew, and it burned at the very core of her soul, but she knew. It would break both hers and Kurtis's heart, but it would kill her in the end if she kept this up, anyway. "You know what, Kurtis," she said slowly. "I think you're right. I _don't_ want to trust you. I just can't, and I'm sorry. I don't think I'll ever fully be able to give you what you need. You'd be better off without me."

Kuris stared into her eyes, as if he didn't even know who she was. Lara had to break the gaze, or she would burst into tears. She turned away, her back to Kurtis, her gaze out the window, but not really looking at anything. She folded one arm over her stomach, and held the other to her mouth, biting back sobs that would eventually escape her throat.

Neither she nor Kurtis moved for what seemed an eternity. They both just stood where they were, as if waiting for the last five minutes of destruction to reverse, and have everything go back to normal again. _What is normal?_ Lara asked herself. It's not like they could call themselves a couple, or anything of the sort. Technically speaking, they'd only known each other for about a week. It wouldn't hurt _that_ bad if she let him go, moved on, and pretended she'd never loved him – would it?

_It's me we're talking about,_ Lara thought. Of course she could move on. That's what she did. She would go back to London in the morning with Zip and Alister, sleep for several hours in her huge bed, drink a good cup of British tea, and wait for another threat to humanity to emerge so she could focus on what truly mattered.

Finally, Lara heard Kurtis moving behind her. She heard him walk around the bed, probably retrieving his clothes. Then, she heard him scoop up his Chirugai and gun from the table, the disk scraping the tabletop. She heard his heavy footsteps, and heard him turn the doorknob of the front door. "If that's how you feel, Lara," he said slowly, "then who am I to weigh you down?" Lara remained standing where she was, tears streaming down her cheeks. Then, she heard Kurtis open the door, step outside, and close the door behind him. He was gone.

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**There goes Lara, her doubts and fears destroying her. Sooo...besides the fact that...well, what just happened did indeed happen, what did you think of it? *backs away into corner* Come on now guys, I know what I'm doing!! *runs away* Okay, meet you at the epilogue, tomorrow!! Toodles!! xD**


	20. Equilibrium?

**No, please don't hate me OveractiveImaginer!!! I know what I'm doing, TRUST ME!! :,( Hey, that grand piano was hard to lift off of me...haha.**

**Just think of it this way...the more she holds back now, the more she has to give later...right? Right?! =D  
**

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_Three months later_

"Winston, won't you fix a pot of tea?" Lara called from the hall of the Croft Manor, sifting through the bills in her hand that the mailman had just delivered. An electricity bill, a water bill, vehicle insurance – _lots_ of those envelopes – and stupid requests for magazine subscriptions. If she wasn't fighting off undead knights, or battling immortal enemies, she was fighting off telemarketers and cheesy catch-phrases to draw her into this surreal world of advertisement.

Lara sighed, dropping half of the envelopes into the nearby trash can. Winston emerged from the back hallway, heading in the direction of the kitchen. "Of course, Lady Croft," he agreed. "Right away."

"Thank you," she muttered as he walked past her. Lara entered the tech room to find Zip in his usual position – legs over the tabletop, headphones resting around his shoulders, and one hand on the mouse to the computer, sifting through music playlists and unsecured networks to hack.

"Morning, Lara," Zip said, grinning subtly as he looked up at her.

"Good morning," she said to him. "Anything new on this beautiful morning?"

"Nothing at all," he said. "No serial killers, no thieves, no immortals, no nothing."

"Hm," she said lightly. "Most unfortunate."

"We'll get something soon, I'm sure," he assured her.

Lara sighed quietly to herself, exiting the tech room. "I certainly hope so," she said, mostly to herself. Lara continued sorting through the mail in her hand. _Junk, junk, bill, junk,_ she said to herself. She was just about to toss the remaining envelopes in her hand until she reached the very bottom one. It was a dingy brown envelope, with some foreign-looking stamp on it in the right corner. The address in the left corner was located somewhere in the northern city of Amiens in France. _France?_ Lara thought curiously.

She slit open the envelope, removing the letter inside. She unfolded the crinkly paper to find very few words written in the center of the letter, but the weight these few words held was heavy enough to stop Lara in her tracks. _Lux Veritatis in trouble. Come immediately to listed address._

Lara's stomach dropped, her heart stopped, and her breath caught in her throat. Could it be him?

_**** THE END ****_

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**_**Well, there you have it. The final chapter. A nice little cliffie...just some insurance for me that you guys will read the sequel. Haha. I'm SOOO EVIL AND CLEVER Muahahaha!! :D**

**Well, I would like to thank everyone who's stuck with me through this story. I appreciate the reviews anyone has submitted, it has kept me going!! *throws large bars of chocolate into audience* Here's a gift to everyone! Much gratitude :)**

**The sequel is called "The Return of the Light" and you can expect to see it posted next Thursday, on April 30. I'm only giving one week of break between the stories haha, I'm too eager to wait any longer, as I'm sure you guys are as well. So we will have to bear with this together!!**

**THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATRONAGE, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AT THE SEQUEL!! TAKE CARE UNTIL THEN!!! =D  
**


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